APPRECIATE IT.
>> THE LEGISLATIVE BILL THAT
CALLS FOR MAKING THE PRIMARY
DUTY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO
PRESERVE THE LIFE OF ALL
INDIVIDUALS AND THAT DEADLY
FORCE IS TO BE USED ONLY AS A
HAS RESORT IS BEING DERIDED BY
THE REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR WHO
IS CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMITTEE.
SENATOR VAN WANGGAARD OF RACINE
IS A FORMER POLICE OFFICER.
HE JOINS US NOW FROM RACINE AND
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> GLAD TO BE HERE, FREDERICA.
>> SO WHY IN YOUR MIND IS IT
WRONG TO CODIFY THE STATUTE THE
PRIMARY DUTY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
IS TO PRESERVE THE LIFE OF ALL
INDIVIDUALS?
>> WELL, ACTUALLY, UNDER CHAPTER
66 IT'S ALREADY INCLUDED IN
THERE AND IT REQUIRES EACH
DEPARTMENT TO HAVE POLICIES IN
PLACE, BOTH UNDER STATE AND
FEDERAL GUIDELINES, THAT
RESTRICT THOSE OFFICERS TO
ACTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE
AND FEDERAL LAWS.
SO JUST LIKE WHAT HAPPENED IN
MINNESOTA, THIS OFFICER THAT
STEPPED OUTSIDE OF HIS
DEPARTMENT'S POLICIES,
GUIDELINES AND TRAINING AND DID
THIS HORRIFIC PUTTING OF THE
KNEE ON THE SUSPECT'S NECK, THAT
INDIVIDUAL IS OUTSIDE OF THE
POLICIES AND GUIDELINES OF THE
FORCE CONTINUUM.
AND HE'S BEEN CHARGED WITH
SECOND-DEGREE MURDER.
WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF CRIMINAL
STATUTES ON THE BOOKS THAT APPLY
TO EVERYBODY.
THEY APPLY TO POLICE OFFICERS,
TOO, NOT JUST THE PEOPLE ON THE
STREET THAT THEY POLICE, BUT THE
POLICE OFFICERS THEMSELVES.
AND THOSE GUIDELINES ARE ALREADY
IN PLACE UNDER CHAPTER 60 AND
UNDER CHAPTER 62.13, WHICH DEALS
WITH POLICE AND FIRE
COMMISSIONS, ET CETERA.
THERE ARE SEVERAL LAYERS THAT
WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS
IF IN FACT AN INDIVIDUAL STEPS
OUTSIDE OF THOSE GUIDELINES.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT I
WAS A POLICE AND FIRE
COMMISSIONER FOR TEN YEARS,
ALSO.
>> AND SO YOU DESCRIBE THIS
PROPOSAL AS BEING MICROMANAGING
OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS, AND YOU
ALSO SAY THAT IT SEEMS CLEAR
THAT WHOEVER WROTE THIS BILL HAS
NEVER SERVED WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
WHY DO YOU SAY THAT PIECE?
>> WELL, I SAY THAT BECAUSE NO
MATTER WHAT IS IN THIS BILL
WOULD NOT HAVE CHANGED WHAT
OCCURRED IN MINNEAPOLIS AND I
DON'T BELIEVE IT WOULD HAVE
CHANGED ANY OF THE
OFFICER-INVOLVED INCIDENTS THAT
HAVE OCCURRED IN MY RECENT
MEMORY.
WE NEED TO GET AT THE ROOT CAUSE
OF WHY THIS IS HAPPENING, AND WE
NEED TO LOOK AT SPECIFICALLY HOW
CAN WE ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
SO WE HAVE A PIECE OF
LEGISLATION THAT WE'VE BEEN
WORKING ON ABOUT TWO YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT WITH
MR. MICHAEL BELL.
HE LOST HIS SON TO A POLICE
OFFICER DOWN IN KENOSHA A FEW
YEARS BACK, AND HE HAS BEEN
LOOKING FOR CHANGE.
AND HOW WE ADDRESS SOME OF THE
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS AND
HOW CAN WE TRAIN BETTER SO THAT
MAYBE WE CAN ALLEVIATE SOME OF
THESE ISSUES HAPPENING.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT
PIECE OF LEGISLATION, WHICH
WOULD GET TO THE ROOT CAUSE.
IT WOULD LOOK SPECIFICALLY, LIKE
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION
SAFETY BOARD COMES IN WHEN
THERE'S A TRANSPORTATION CRASH
IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEY COME IN, THEY SURVEY ALL OF
THE INFORMATION.
THERE'S NO PLACE THEY CAN'T GO.
THEY HE CAN CAN SUBPOENA, FIND OUT WHY
IT HAPPENED SO WE CAN MAKE
CHANGES SO WE DON'T HAVE THESE
FAILURES.
WHETHER OR NOT A BLACK MAN ON
THE GROUND OR A WHITE MAN ON THE
GROUND WOULDN'T THE HAVE MADE
ANY DIFFERENCE.
WHAT THIS OFFICER DID WAS JUST
ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS AND HE
SHOULD BE CHARGED.
SO THAT WOULDN'T HAVE MADE ANY
DIFFERENCE.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED
HERE, WHERE WAS THE FAILURE.
AND I THINK THAT THE PROCESS, WE
WILL NOW HAVE NOT ONLY WILL THEY
HAVE AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION,
THEY'LL HAVE THEIR STATE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IN
MINNEAPOLIS LOOKING AT IT, THE
FEDERAL INVESTIGATION AND THE
STATE LEVEL IN MINNESOTA WILL BE
LOOKING ALIT JUST AT IT.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP ALL
OF THAT IN PERSPECTIVE.
>> YOU TALK ABOUT ROOT CAUSES OF
THIS KIND OF THING LIKE HAPPENED
IN MINNEAPOLIS HAPPENING.
WOULD THAT BE TRAINING AND
ACCOUNTABILITY THEN?
>> I THINK TRAINING IS A HUGE,
HUGE PART OF IT.
WE'RE BLESSED HERE IN WISCONSIN.
WE'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD BUREAU
TRAINING AND STANDARDS AND THEY
WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL OF
OUR DEPARTMENTS.
I GUESS I LEAN A LITTLE BIT
TOWARDS SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
WITH GATEWAY TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE
AND MATC.
BUT THEY TRAIN OUR OFFICERS.
THEY HAVE TWO-YEAR PROGRAMS AND
THEY'RE HANDS-ON AND THEY'RE
PHENOMENAL.
AND THEN EVERY OFFICER IN THE
STATE OF WISCONSIN IS REQUIRED
TO HAVE 24 HOURS OF CONTINUING
EDUCATION TO MAINTAIN THEIR
CERTIFICATIONS.
SO THEY GO THROUGH ALL OF THE
OTHER ASPECTS OF INTERACTION
WITH THE COMMUNITY, WHICH COULD
BE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, IT
COULD BE DEFENSE DEFENSIVE TACTICS FOR
ARREST.
THEY UPGRADE THAT TRAINING, SO
EVERY QUEER AN YEAR AN OFFICER HAS TO
HAVE AT LEAST 24 HOURS OF
TRAINING ON CURRENT THINGS THAT
MIGHT CHANGE HOW THEY RESPOND TO
THE COMMUNITY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SENATOR WAN