Wisconsin Right Now

"During Roll Calls…Please inspect our members and remind them the Thin Blue Line is PROHIBITED!" - Milwaukee Police Capt. Carolyn Birch A Milwaukee Police Captain has instructed District 7 supervisors to "inspect" police officers during roll calls for thin blue line imagery, such as on bracelets. It comes as homicide has skyrocketed 87% this year so far, on the heels of two record years in a row. The email dated Monday, April 11, 2022, at 3:05 p.m., is causing a stir inside the department. It was sent by District 7 Capt. Carolyn A. Birch to District 7 Supervisors. However, Birch is clearly following the direction of Chief Jeffrey Norman who has yet to articulate a coherent crimefighting strategy but has taken time to publicly outline his war against the thin blue line. It all started because a photo captured an officer wearing a thin blue line bracelet, says the email, obtained by Wisconsin Right Now from a source. The Birch email is titled, “Thin Blue...

We asked Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson's spokesman, Jeff Fleming, a series of important questions about the mayor's felon brother, Allen Addison, Jr., who was arrested Thursday for shooting a man multiple times and for being a felon in possession of a firearm after being wanted on a warrant for two months. Fleming initially responded to our follow-up questions, "I’m unlikely to have a chance to speak with the Mayor on this in the near term." Say what? Translated, that response means, "I'm not going to let Johnson answer tough questions before Tuesday's election." The public deserves better, and the media should demand answers. I've always respected Jeff Fleming. He's been around this city for decades as a public relations spokesman for various mayors (I used to interview him when he was spokesman for Mayor Norquist, and I was a reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). He knows what he's doing; but what he's doing here is shi...

At a time of record homicide numbers, the Milwaukee police chief is upset about the "thin blue line" being on signs for a religious service meant to give officers comfort. Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman has ordered "blue line chapel" signs taken down from district stations because he thinks they're offensive. The signs, which contain a thin blue line, advertised a religious service for police officers. A source gave us a social media post that read, “Milwaukee Police Chief Norman yesterday ordered the removal of the ‘Blue Line Chapel’ signs advertising our members faith based support group church service from Milwaukee Police Facilities, citing it is ‘offensive.’ I ask for your prayers in this clear spiritual warfare attack on our police officers.” It’s not clear who wrote that post, but we asked Andrew Wagner, president of the Milwaukee Police Association, about the claims and he said, "Yes, I heard about it, and it is true." We asked...