MILWAUKEE POLICE CHIEF ED FLYNN NEWS CONFERENCE ON ESCALATING GUN VIOLENCE IN THE CITY, APRIL 16, 2015.
Raw video:
Transcript of Q & A portion of news conference, with Chief Flynn's answers shown:
(A2 at 9:26)
WELL ... IT'S A REGRETFUL SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES. THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW ... OUR GREAT CHALLENGE HERE IS THAT WE'VE GOT A SUBCULTURE OF VIOLENCE OUT THERE THAT'S OPERATING EXTRA-JUDICIOUSLY. THERE SEEMS TO BE A SENSIBILITY AMONG A SEGMENT OF THE COMMUNITY THAT COMMITTING ACTS OF VIOLENCE ... IN SUPPORT OF ONE'S REPUTATION ... TO GET REVENGE FOR A PERCEIVED SLIGHT OR FOR A PERCEIVED BUSINESS DISPUTE OVER ILLEGAL DRUGS ... OR TO EXACT REVENGE ... IS SOMEHOW APPROVED. AND IN THAT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES ... THEY'RE NOT ONLY GOING TO BE TRAGEDIES ... THERE'S GOING TO BE DREADFUL MISTAKES ... AND THIS SAD EXAMPLE IS WHAT WE GET WHEN WE HAVE FOLKS WHO DECIDE THAT IT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO USE THEIR GUNS TO REDRESS THEIR GRIEVANCES.
WELL ... IT'S A REGRETFUL SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES. THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW ... OUR GREAT CHALLENGE HERE IS THAT WE'VE GOT A SUBCULTURE OF VIOLENCE OUT THERE THAT'S OPERATING EXTRA-JUDICIOUSLY. THERE SEEMS TO BE A SENSIBILITY AMONG A SEGMENT OF THE COMMUNITY THAT COMMITTING ACTS OF VIOLENCE ... IN SUPPORT OF ONE'S REPUTATION ... TO GET REVENGE FOR A PERCEIVED SLIGHT OR FOR A PERCEIVED BUSINESS DISPUTE OVER ILLEGAL DRUGS ... OR TO EXACT REVENGE ... IS SOMEHOW APPROVED. AND IN THAT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES ... THEY'RE NOT ONLY GOING TO BE TRAGEDIES ... THERE'S GOING TO BE DREADFUL MISTAKES ... AND THIS SAD EXAMPLE IS WHAT WE GET WHEN WE HAVE FOLKS WHO DECIDE THAT IT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO USE THEIR GUNS TO REDRESS THEIR GRIEVANCES.
(A3 at 10:15)
WELL ... I THINK WE'VE GOT AN
INTERLOCKING SET OF CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED. ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS
TO DO IS TO RATIONALLY TALK ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN VIOLENT CRIME AND
FIREARMS WITHOUT AWAKENING THE SLEEPING BEAST OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT DEFENDERS
WHO'VE NEVER MET A GUN LAW THAT THEY LIKE. IF WE COULD ALL TURN OFF OUR A.M.
RADIO STATIONS FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS ... AND ENGAGE IN RATIONAL DISCOURSE ABOUT
WHAT IT TAKES TO AFFECT THE THINKING OF CAREER CRIMINALS CARRYING FIREARMS ...
WE MIGHT MAKE SOME PROGRESS HERE. BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT
WANT TO SET UP STRAW MEN ... ABOUT SOMEHOW THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE SECOND
AMENDMENT ... AS THOUGH OUR FOUNDING FATHERS WERE COMMITTED TO ARMING PIRATES
AND HIGHWAYMAN BACK IN THE 1700s. NO ... WE'VE GOT CAREER CRIMINALS WHO HAVE
EASY ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY FIREARMS WHICH THEY BUY LEGALLY ON THE STREETS OF
THIS CITY WITHOUT A BACKGROUND CHECK. WE HAVE GOT CAREER CRIMINALS OUT THERE
LAWFULLY CARRYING FIREARMS WITH CCW
PERMITS CAUSE OUR CURRENT LAW PERMITS THAT. AND WE HAVE CAREER CRIMINALS WHO
GET ARRESTED WITH GUNS, WHO, IF THEY'RE NOT ALREADY FELONS, CAN ONLY BE CHARGED
WITH A MISDEMEANOR. NOW THAT'S A RECIPE FOR ENCOURAGING THE KIND OF BEHAVIOR
WE'VE SEEN. AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY COINCIDENCE THAT THERE'S BEEN A
LITTLE BIT OF A LAG-TIME BETWEEN THIS LAW BEING PASSED AND ITS IMPACT BEING
FELT IN THE MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ALREADY AFFLICTED WITH
VIOLENCE. IS IT THE SOLE CAUSE? ... OF COURSE NOT. ... BUT DOES THAT MEAN WE,
AS A MATURE SOCIETY, HAVE NO ABILITY TO CHANGE OUR LAWS TO OUR BENEFIT. I MEAN
MY GOD ... THIS LOOKS LIKE THE NRA'S
VISION FOR AMERICA RIGHT NOW. ... ALRIGHT, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE. AND I WOULD
LIKE TO THINK THAT SOMEDAY WE CAN ELECT LEGISLATORS THAT HAVE GOT THE GUTS AND
MORAL FORTITUDE TO STAND UP TO A SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP THAT DOESN'T GIVE A
DAMN ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF VIOLENT HOMICIDE IN THE CENTRAL CITIES OF AMERICA. BUT
SADLY ... THAT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THE CASE.
(A4 at 12:11)
WE AGREE ... AND THE CONVERSATIONS
I'VE HAD WITH THE U.S. ATTORNEY INDICATES TO ME THAT HE AGREES. WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING ON THAT. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES HE'S FACING IS A JUDICIARY
THAT APPEARS TO BE RELUCTANT TO TAKE THESE CASES IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO I DON'T
SEE A PROBLEM WITH THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. I MEAN, HECK ... RESOURCES FROM
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ARE STANDING BEHIND ME TODAY. THEY'RE
SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER WITH US FIGHTING VIOLENT CRIME. I MEAN, THIS IS THE BEST
PARTNERSHIPS I'VE SEEN ... BETWEEN THE FBI AND THE POLICE AND ATF
AND THE POLICE ... GETTING VIOLENT FELONS OFF THE STREET. THEY'RE HAPPY TO TAKE
CASES FEDERALLY. WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE CASES FEDERALLY. AND AS FAR AS I KNOW THE
U.S. ATTORNEY IS. I'D LIKE SOME OF OUR ESTEEMED FEDERAL JUDICIARY TO GET OVER
THEMSELVES ... AND MAYBE PITCH IN A LITTLE BIT AND HELP KEEP THIS CITY SAFE.
(A5 at 13:04)
UH, NO. ... UM, WE'LL TRY AGAIN.
... YOU KNOW THIS IS A CHALLENGE NOW. YOU KNOW ... WE'RE IN AN ELECTION CYCLE
... OK. AND RIGHT NOW I FEAR TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE MORE WORRIED ABOUT OFFENDING
THE NRA THAN SAVING LIVES IN THE STREETS OF MILWAUKEE. I AM HOPING ... KEEPING
MY FINGERS CROSSED ... THAT I'M WRONG. AND THAT WE CAN GET PEOPLE TO SAY THAT
WE TALK ABOUT PUNISHING ARMED CRIMINALS ... WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT LAW-ABIDING
PEOPLE AND THE SECOND AMENDMENT. STOP TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE NOT TALKING
ABOUT. WE'VE GOT A SERIOUS CRIME PROBLEM HERE THAT IS EXACERBATED BY THE AVAILABILITY
OF FIREARMS ... AND THE FACT THAT FOR A CAREER CRIMINAL IT IS MORE DANGEROUS TO
GET CAUGHT WITHOUT YOUR GUN BY ANOTHER CAREER CRIMINAL THAN IT IS TO GET
ARRESTED WITH THAT GUN. YOU KNOW ... IF WE CAN'T CHANGE THEIR MENTAL
CALCULATION ... WHY SHOULD THEY BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY? ... IT'S RATIONAL BEHAVIOR.
IF 80% OF MY VICTIMS AND 85% OF MY OFFENDERS AND SHOOTINGS HAVE CRIMINAL
HISTORIES ... WHY SHOULD THEY CHANGE THEIR MIND ABOUT CARRYING A GUN? AND IF
THE ODD BABY OR TODDLER GETS SHOT IN THE MEANTIME ... SO WHAT? NOW THAT'S THEIR
THINKING. ... WE CAN'T CHANGE THEIR THINKING JUST BY ARRESTING THEM. WE ARE
ARRESTING THEM. ... ALRIGHT ... WE ARE GETTING THEIR GUNS OFF THE STREET. 80% OF THE GUNS WE SEIZE ARE EVIDENCE GUNS. ... THAT'S THE HIGHEST RATE
IN DECADES. BUT ... OUR LAWS NEED TEETH ... ALRIGHT. OUR LAWS NEED TEETH ...
AND WE NEED LEGISLATORS WITH UH ... SPINE.
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