The Milwaukee Post

Alderman: Body cameras should be included in budget MILWAUKEE — Wearable body cameras for Milwaukee police officers should be included in Mayor Tom Barrett's proposed 2015 executive budget, Alderman Tony Zielinski is proposing. Zielinski said in a news release that the small cameras record the interactions officers have with citizens, and also document calls for service. "Given current events, I believe these cameras are a good invest- ment which can increase overall police transparency while provid- ing a clear record of what occurs during a given call for service," Zielinski said. "I am calling on the mayor to include body cameras in his 2015 city budget, and if he does not, I will be introducing a budg- et amendment to include them." Zielinski, chair of the Licenses Committee, said he believes body cameras will become standard equipment for police departments across the U.S. during the next few years. "These cameras offer the public a clear record of what transpired, and for officers who followed the law and followed procedure — but who are wrongfully accused — the footage can provide irrefutable vindication," he said. Barrett will introduce his 2015 executive budget later next month. Community activists march over shootings MILWAUKEE — Community activists in Milwaukee held their third rally in about a week over the officer-involved shooting deaths of Dontre Hamilton in Wisconsin and Michael Brown in Missouri. People gathered Monday at the downtown Milwaukee park, where an officer shot Hamilton as many as 15 times in April. They then marched to the federal building a few blocks away. Demonstrators say they want justice to be served in Hamilton's death. They also ral- lied Aug. 17 in the memory of Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old whose shooting death by a white police officer sparked community outrage. Milwaukee County Supervisor David Bowen called for the release of the findings of a state review of the April 30 shooting death of Hamilton, a mentally ill black man, in Red Arrow Park by a Milwaukee police officer. In a news release, Bowen said the move is crucial to improving relations between law enforcement and the community, especially the black community. As of press time, the findings have yet to be released by Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisolm. GAB: Primary election turnout was 12.7% MILWAUKEE — The Government Accountability Board says turnout for the August primary was lower than predicted. The GAB predicted that turnout would be 15 percent of eligible voters. The agency released figures this week that showed the official turnout for the Aug. 12 elections was 12.7 percent. The GAB said 552,342 people cast votes out of a voting-age population of 4,348,307. 4 • Milwaukee County Post • August 29, 2014 WEEK IN REVIEW STATE AND LOCAL STORIES OF INTEREST City, county hold steady in unemployment figures MILWAUKEE — The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has released its July unemployment data, which shows both the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County holding steady while other areas in the state are cutting their job- less rates. The city of Milwaukee saw its unemployment rate go up slightly, from 9.3 percent in June to 9.4 percent in July, the third highest rate among Wisconsin's 32 largest cities. While the city was also third in June's rankings, its total unemployment rate has dropped significantly from this point a year ago, when it stood at 10.6 percent. As for other cities, Franklin's unemployment rate dropped from 5.2 percent in June to 4.9 percent in July. Greenfield dropped from 5.8 percent to 5.7 percent. Oak Creek dropped from 5.5 percent to 5.0 percent. Wauwatosa dropped from 5.1 percent to 4.8 per- cent, and West Allis dropped from 6.3 percent to 6.1 percent. Meanwhile, Milwaukee County saw its unemployment rate decline slightly from a month ago — finishing July at 7.6 percent. It dropped from eighth place to seventh place among counties statewide. Racine had the highest unemployment rate among cities at 11.3 percent, while Menominee was first among the 72 counties at 18.3 percent. Water Council receives grant from JPMorgan & Chase MILWAUKEE — Global financial firm JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced plans Monday to provide a $225,000 grant to The Water Council to help the organization find water technology investors. The grant is part of The Water Council's Small Business Forward initiative. "The support from JPMorgan Chase & Co. will build upon the tremendous assis- tance that we have received from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and help position The Water Council as a critical resource when global investors are seeking opportunities to be associated with small water technology businesses," said Dean Amhaus, president and CEO of The Water Council. The Water Council was established in 2009 as a nonprofit organization by business, government and education leaders in order to bring together the region's existing water companies and research clusters, develop educational programs to train the next generation, and build partnerships across industries and geographic boundaries. The Water Council said it plans to use the grant to identify national and interna- tional firms that would be open to explore water technology investments, develop water investment training materials and conduct initial investor meetings with entrepre- neurs. Over the next five years, JPMorgan Chase & Co. says it will provide $30 million in grants to support small business clusters throughout the nation that aid in growing certain industries. Two debates set in governor's race MILWAUKEE — Gov. Scott Walker and opponent Mary Burke have agreed to appear in two debates this fall sponsored by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation Board. The board says the debates are scheduled for Oct. 10 in the La Crosse-Eau Claire mar- ket and Oct. 17 in the Milwaukee market. The association says the host stations and other debate specifics will be announced later. Walker, a Republican, and Burke, a Democrat, will square off in the Nov. 4 election. Second man charged in alleged fleeing incident WAUKESHA — A second man has been charged in an incident where an undercover drug buy in Muskego led to a chase that culminated in a crash in Greenfield last month. Devin Katzfey, 18, of Milwaukee, was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court with one count each of possessing a firearm after being judged delinquent as a minor, theft, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and keeping a drug trafficking place. The complaint said a confidential informant set Muskego police and the Metro Drug Unit up in a deal to buy three ounces of pot from Katzfey on July 22 for $960. After the deal, Daniel Montemayor allegedly led police on a chase up Moorland Road to Interstate 43 and then into Greenfield, where the car crashed near 60th Street. An officer saw Katzfey running from the car and throwing an object on the roof of a building. The object was later determined to be a loaded Glock pistol reported stolen in Oak Creek last December, the complaint said. Near the area where Katzfey was arrested, police found a plastic bag containing two smaller bags of marijuana that weighed a total of 28.6 grams, the complaint said. If convicted of all charges, Katzfey faces up to 23 years in prison. Montemayor, 17, was charged with fleeing police and endangering safety. His case is pending. Zielinski Officials call on PSC to reject rate hike MILWAUKEE — State Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, called on the Public Service Commission to flatly reject We Energies' proposed rate increase that includes increasing the "fixed charge" paid by residential consumers. It has been reported that electric rates for homeowners and other residential cus- tomers could rise nearly 5 percent in January, depending on how the state regulators decide the utility's 2015-16 rate case this fall. "The incentive for being more energy efficient should be a reduction in our energy bills. The utilities' plan to shift higher fixed costs onto residential consumers is coun- terintuitive, counterproductive and encourages waste," Carpenter said in a release. Milwaukee Alderman Tony Zielinski said Monday that he will introduce legislation next week urging the full Common Council to go on record in opposition to a requested rate increase. Residents can file comments by visiting the PSC's website, psc.wi.gov.

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