% CHRISTIAN HEG WILL BE RETURNED %
TO THEIR PEDESTALS.
% TWO MONTHS SINCE THE KILLING OF
% GEORGE FLOYD IN MINNEAPOLIS.
% A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT
% POLICE REFORM IS ONGOING.
% ONE OF THE ISSUES, HOW TO MAKE
% SURE THE "BAD APPLES" IN THE
% POLICE PROFESSION CAN BE REMOVED
% FROM THE FORCE.
% ZAC SCHULTZ HAS BEEN WORKING
% WITH OUR COLLEAGUES FROM
% WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO AND
% WISCONTEXT TO EXAMINE POLICE
% UNION CONTRACTS AND THE ROLE
% THEY PLAY IN PROTECTING BAD
% COPS.
% >> BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT
% IS HIGHLIGHTING POLICING UNIONS
% AND THE ROLE THEY PLAY IN
% PROTECTING OFFICERS.
% YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN STORIES
% ABOUT THE BAD COPS WHEN GET
% REINSTATED TO THE FORCE.
% SHIELDED FROM CONSEQUENCES BY A
% BUREAUCRATIC SYSTEM AND A UNION
% CONTRACT.
% >> YOU REACT, I REACT.
% >> SO, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT
% LIMITING THE POWER OF POLICE
% UNIONS.
% >> THE CO-FOUNDER OF A
% NON-PROFIT GROUP FOCUSSED ON
% ELIMINATING POLICE VIOLENCE.
% IT TRACKS CONTRACTS ACROSS THE
% COUNTRY AND A LIST OF PROVISIONS
% WHICH IT SAYS BLOCK
% ACCOUNTABILITY, LIKE GIVING
% ACCUSED OFFICERS ACCESS TO VIDEO
% AND EVIDENCE BEFORE THEY ARE
% INTERVIEWED, NOT ALLOWING
% OFFICERS TO BE INTERVIEWED AFTER
% AN INCIDENT, AND POLICIES THAT
% ERASE OLD MISCONDUCT RECORDS
% AFTER A FEW YEARS.
% >> THE BEST CHIEF AND THE BEST
% MAYOR, THEY ARE LIMITED WHAT
% THEY CAN DO BECAUSE IT'S
% NEGOTIATED A$WAY.
% >> WE WANTED TO KNOW WHETHER
% PROVISIONS ARE IN UNION
% CONTRACTS IN WISCONSIN.
% ALONG WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT
% WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO AND
% WISCONTEXT, WE EXAMINE THE
% POLICE UNION CONTRACTS FOR EIGHT
% CITIES.
% MILWAUKEE, WAUKESHA, RACINE,
% KENOSHA, MADISON, BELOIT, GREEN
% BAY, AND WAUSAU.
% WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT WISCONSIN
% IS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE REST
% OF THE COUNTRY.
% >> THERE'S A LEVEL OF
% TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND
% INDEPENDENCE THAT EXISTS IN
% WISCONSIN THAT DOES NOT EXIST
% ELSEWHERE.
% >> JIM PALMER, EXECUTIVE
% DIRECTOR OF WPPA.
% WISCONSIN'S LARGEST POLICE
% OFFICER UNION.
% SHERIFF DEPUTIES AND PRISON
% GUARDS.
% >> OVER 10,000 MEMBERS FROM MORE
% THAN 300 LOCAL ASSOCIATION
% AFFILIATES.
% >> MOST POLICE UNION CONTRACTS
% IN WISCONSIN HAVE LITTLE TO SAY
% DISCIPLINE.
% >> WE DON'T HAVE LANGUAGE --
% >> STATE LAW SAYS POLICE
% MISCONDUCT IN WISCONSIN IS
% GOVERNED BY LOCAL POLICE AND
% FIRE COMMISSIONS.
% CITIZEN BOARDS WITH MEMBERS
% APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR.
% >> LEGITIMATE FORM OF CIVILIAN
% CONTROL AND HAVE EXISTED IN
% WISCONSIN OVER 100 YEARS.
% >> NO MAYOR IN WISCONSIN CAN
% FIRE A POLICE OFFICER.
% OUTSIDE OF MILWAUKEE, NO POLICE
% CHIEF CAN EITHER.
% TYPICALLY, INTERNAL
% INVESTIGATION WILL HAND OVER
% EVIDENCE AND A RECOMMENDATION TO
% THE P.F.C. AND IT WILL DECIDE
% THE PUNISHMENT.
% SECOND BIG DIFFERENCE IN
% WISCONSIN.
% >> VAST MAJORITY OF LAW
% ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN THE STATE
% OF WISCONSIN CAN ARBITRATE THE
% DISCIPLINE.
% >> ARBITRATION IS OFTEN BLAMED
% ANY TIME A BAD UNION EMPLOYEE
% KEEPS THEIR JOB.
% >> THESE OFFICERS AND MANY
% OTHERS WERE FIRED AND ALL OF
% THEM GOT THEIR JOBS BACK THANKS
% TO A POLICE UNION CONTRACT AND
% STATE LAW THAT LEAVES FINAL
% PUNISHMENT IN THE HANDS OF AN
% ARBITRATOR.
% >> ARBITRATOR BASICALLY LISTENS
% TO THE PARTIES AND MAKES A
% DECISION.
% KIND OF LIKE BEING A JUDGE BUT
% IT'S A WHOLE LOT LESS FORMAL.
% >> SUE BAUMAN IS AN ARBITRATOR
% RULED ON LAW ENFORCEMENT
% DISCIPLINE CASES IN WISCONSIN
% AND MINNESOTA.
% THE ARBITRATORS ARE SUPPOSED TO
% BE NEUTRAL.
% BUT BOTH SIDES GET TO INFLUENCE
% WHO HEARS THE CASE.
% >> THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT
% UNIONS AND MANAGEMENT KEEP SCORE
% ON ARBITRATORS, THEY KNOW BETTER
% THAN ARBITRATORS KNOW HOW MANY
% TIMES AN ARBITRATOR HAS FOUND
% FOR THE UNION OR FOR THE
% EMPLOYER.
% >> IN WISCONSIN, SHERIFF'S
% DEPUTIES CAN ARBITRATE
% DISCIPLINE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS
% RARE.
% BAUMAN IS ALSO THE FORMER MAYOR
% OF MADISON, AND SHE SAYS
% WISCONSIN'S P.F.C. MODEL IS NOT
% PERFECT.
% >> THE FACT THAT ALL DISCIPLINE
% HAS TO GO THROUGH THE P.F.C. AND
% THAT THE POLICE CHIEF CAN ONLY
% MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, AND THE
% MAYOR HAS ABSOLUTELY NO SAY
% DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
% >> BAUMAN SAYS NO MATTER WHETHER
% IT'S ARBITRATION OR A P.F.C.,
% THE BIGGEST FACTOR IN
% DISCIPLINING A POLICE OFFICER IS
% WHETHER THEIR SUPERVISORS DID
% THEIR JOB IN PRESENTING THE
% EVIDENCE.
% >> THE EMPLOYEE BROKE THE RULES
% AND THE EMPLOYER SHOWS THAT TO
% THE ARBITRATOR.
% THE ARBITRATOR WILL UPHOLD THE
% DECISION.
% >> HOW MANY YEARS HAVE WE HEARD
% YOU CAN'T FIRE A BAD TEACHER,
% AND NOW WHAT WE ARE HEARING
% WELL, YOU CAN'T FIRE A BAD COP.
% >> DON TAYLOR, PROFESSOR AT THE
% UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SCHOOL
% FOR WORKERS AND SPECIALIZES IN
% LABOR RELATIONS.
% HE SAYS THE MOST IMPORTANT
% PROTECTION IN POLICE CONTRACTS
% IS DUE PROCESS.
% >> NOT JUST POLICE CONTRACTS,
% BUT ALL CONTRACTS CONTAIN SOME
% SORT OF PROVISION THAT THE
% EMPLOYER HAS TO FOLLOW SOME TYPE
% OF DUE PROCESS IN ORDER TO
% DISCIPLINE OR TERMINATE ANY
% EMPLOYEE.
% >> TAYLOR SAYS GETTING
% DISCIPLINE TO STICK COMES DOWN
% TO MANAGEMENT FOLLOWING THE
% PROPER STEPS.
% >> IN 70% OF CASES WHERE AN
% EMPLOYEE WAS REINSTATED IT WAS
% DUE TO MANAGEMENT ERROR,
% OVERLOOKING MITIGATING
% CIRCUMSTANCES, NOT CREATING A
% PAPER TRAIL, THINGS LIKE THAT.
% >> WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT POLICE
% UNION CONTRACTS IS WHETHER THOSE
% STEPS INCLUDE STRICT TIMELINES,
% AND LETTING THE OFFICER REVIEW
% THE EVIDENCE BEFORE AN
% INTERVIEW.
% TAYLOR HAS DONE WORK FOR POLICE
% UNIONS IN WISCONSIN AND SAYS IF
% THOSE ITEMS ARE IN THE CONTRACT,
% THEY DIDN'T GET THERE BY
% THEMSELVES.
% >> WE SHOULDN'T FORGET THOSE
% WERE NOT JUST SIMPLY CARVED INTO
% STONE BY THE POLICE OFFICERS AND
% THEIR UNION, THE MUNICIPALITY OR
% WHATEVER GOVERNMENT ENTITY THEY
% WORK FOR AGREED TO THOSE THINGS.
% >> THERE'S ALWAYS ITEMS IN THE
% CONTRACT WE WISH WE COULD HAVE.
% >> WHICH BRINGS US TO THE
% MILWAUKEE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND
% CHIEF ALFONSO MORALES.
% >> YOU READ BETWEEN THE LINES,
% COMMIT CRIME THEY LOSE THEIR JOB
% AFTER DUE PROCESS.
% >> THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE IS
% TREATED DIFFERENTLY, AND THAT
% EXTENDS TO THE POLICE
% DEPARTMENT.%THE ONLY SPECIAL
PROVISION
% RELATED TO DISCIPLINE IN THE
% UNION CONTRACT SAYS OFFICERS CAN
% REVIEW BODYCAM AND SQUAD CAR
% VIDEO BEFORE BEING INTERVIEWED
% ABOUT AN INCIDENT.
% HERE THE CHIEF OF POLICE IMPOSES
% DISCIPLINE AND THE P.F.C. IS
% CALLED THE FIRE AND POLICE
% COMMISSION AND IT ACTS AS A
% COURT OF APPEALS TO THE CHIEF'S
% DISCIPLINE.
% >> THE FIRE POLICE COMMISSION
% HERE!$!
% HEARS IT, DONE PROPERLY, AND
% FOCUSSES ON DISCIPLINE.
% >> CHIEF MORALES CAME UP THROUGH
% THE RANKS, HAS SEEN HOW THE
% UNION WORKS.
% >> SOMETIMES THE ENTIRE
% ORGANIZATION, UNION MEMBERS SAY
% THAT PERSON SHOULD BE PUSHED OUT
% OF THE DEPARTMENT, THEY ARE
% GIVING LAW ENFORCEMENT A BAD
% IMAGE.
% >> AS THE DEBATE OVER POLICE
% REFORM CONTINUES AT BOTH THE
% LOCAL AND STATEWIDE LEVEL, CHIEF
% MORALES SAYS THERE IS NOT A
% PERFECT SOLUTION.
% >> THERE'S PROS AND CONS TO
% EITHER WAY.
% I DON'T THINK EITHER -- THERE'S
% NO SYSTEM THAT'S PERFECT.
% >> REPORTING FROM MADISON, I'M