I love Peeps!
Today, to benefit the Wisconsin Humane Society, visit the Peep Show, "a fun and fluffy exhibition of artworks made of, or inspired by Marshmallow Peeps."
Details:When: Sunday, April 17th, 1-4 PM
Where: Bay View Brew Haus, 2535 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. (414)481-8060
No Entry Fee - No Jury
All are encouraged to participate
Simply bring your "Peep" inspired artworks to the event
Suggested $2 donation goes directly to the Wisconsin Humane Society
A black eye for MPS was avoided last night.
History almost repeated itself. The situation at Custer High School was on the verge of being a replay of the Bay View - Bradley Tech post-basketball game brawl last January.
Once again, Bay View High School students were involved.MILWAUKEE -- One year after a melee broke out during the Bradley Tech High- Bay View High basketball game, a similar crisis was avoided during the Custer High- Bay View High game.
“It was crazy,” said Custer shooting guard Jonathan Cousin. “People running on the court while the game was going on.”
Milwaukee Police didn’t wait for a fight to break out. They moved right in and cleared the gymnasium. All spectators were told to leave. The game was then allowed to continue without an audience.
...No arrests were made Friday night.
People running on the court during the game?
I think police were completely justified in clearing the gym.
Clearly, there were signs that trouble was brewing.
After the brawl last year, MPS chose to "severely limit" the fans able to attend Bay View and Bradley Tech basketball games.
620 WTMJ reported:MPS Spokeswoman Roseanne St. Aubin says for the foreseeable future, MPS will only give two tickets to each player on the two school's teams. The players are only allowed to give those tickets to their parents or guardians. That would mean there can only be a maximum of 24 fans in the stands for each team when they play. St. Aubin says the restriction won't affect the opposing team for the schools.
Perhaps that policy should be implemented again.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Three fired Milwaukee police officers were sentenced to lengthy federal prison terms today for the beating of Frank Jude Jr.
Jon Bartlett, was sentenced to 17 years and four months. Daniel Masarik and Andrew Spengler were each sentenced to more than 15 years.
Bartlett, the first to be sentenced, sat expressionless throughout the hearing. He read from a prepared statement in which he apologized to both Frank Jude and Lovell Harris, who were not present.
"I am truly sorry for what happened to each and I hope that they forgive me," he said. "I know my actions will never be forgotten but I hope they can forgive me as a person."
Bartlett said he had been overwhelmed by everything that had happened since the October 2004 beating and was afraid for his future in explaining his subsequent actions of phoning in bomb threats and trying to buy firearms and ammunition. While he said he accepts responsibility for his actions, he continued to deny that he shoved a pen into Jude's ear.
He said he's lost his house, his cars, his motorcycles, his pet, every material object in his life and has been divorced by his wife.
He said that the time he has spent in jail he used to examine his life and has found God and reconnected with his family.
Reading a statement on behalf of Jude, attorney Jon Safran called Bartlett's actions "those of a terrorist."
"You violated my civil rights and you attempted to kill me. You took my life. You are a disgrace to the police uniform," Jude said in the statement, but added that he would pray for Bartlett's soul.
...Masarik's attorney, Jonathan Smith, had asked for a lesser penalty for his client.
Smith called it "a single 20-minute event in a 27-year life in which there was a group mentality, intoxication and a chaotic scene that escalated beyond control."
But Clevert issued a stinging rebuke of Masarik's behavior and that of other off-duty officers in the October 2004 incident.
"In my estimation it would be a travesty if I were to adopt the rationale discussed for a below-guidelines sentence," Clevert said.
"This case was so serious and has done so much damage and the defendant acted in a way the court believes requires harsh sentencing."
Finally, some closure on this incident.
The moral of the story: Don't beat up people.
Milwaukee's Neighborhood Safety Initiative was stunningly successful, right?Milwaukee's Mayor and Police Chief unveiled results of the Neighborhood Safety Initiative Thursday, calling the police program a huge success.
During the 4-plus months NSI was in affect, statistics show that shootings decreased 31%, armed robberies decreased 22%, and homicides decreased 20.8%. Officers also confiscated 174 firearms, many of them from felons.
Impressive.
However, that success came at a high price.
I'm not referring to the program's cost. I'm referring to the consequences of the program that police and Mayor Tom Barrett didn't mention when they bragged about the NSI's tremendous results.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:If you listen to the Milwaukee police, you'll hear that an intensive summer patrol effort drove down violent crime across the city.
But listen for a moment to Patrick Fiddler.
Fiddler, 62, says he has lived on the city's east side for 30 years but was never a victim of violent crime until July 28, when he was mugged around the 3300 block of N. Oakland Ave. He says during the past year three others in his small circle of friends have been robbed on east side streets - one twice - and physically assaulted.
"Maybe it's only because I'm a victim and all of a sudden I'm more aware of it, but it seems that these kinds of street crimes are becoming more prevalent here on the east side," Fiddler said. "I don't think the city, either through priorities, emphasis or budgeting, is doing enough about this."
Fiddler is among residents and aldermen who question whether the vaunted Neighborhood Safety Initiative has pushed crime from the patrols' target area into other parts of the city that previously saw little crime.
A Journal Sentinel analysis of crime statistics for the first three months of the $2.45 million initiative shows that some major crimes, such as homicide, were reduced rather than shifted to other areas. But the statistics also show that the extra patrols might not be the unqualified success that police and some city officials have portrayed.
Consider:
• Although the most serious violent crimes dropped citywide, aggravated assaults rose in 10 of Milwaukee's 15 aldermanic districts.
• In two aldermanic districts, aggravated assaults were up sharply, and both of those districts were right next to the target area for the expanded patrols.
• In one aldermanic district outside the target area, serious crime increased overall.
The NSI suddenly doesn't look like such a smashing success, does it?At a news conference a week ago, Police Chief Nannette Hegerty and Mayor Tom Barrett said violent crime dropped citywide during the time the patrols were running, from May 20 through Sept. 30.
In a subsequent interview, Barrett suggested that the increase in aggravated assaults also could reflect the initiative's success because some of those crimes might otherwise have been homicides.
Talk about spin!
INCREASED aggravated assaults are actually a good thing! They indicate success! I can't believe he thinks Milwaukee residents would buy that.
Barrett continues to measure the crime crisis in Milwaukee by zeroing in on the homicide rate, as if a decrease in homicides is the strongest indication of a safer city.
There's more to it than that.
Either Barrett understands that fewer homicides aren't the only measure of success and he is intentionally deflecting attention away from the spikes in crime in areas adjacent to the NSI's targeted areas; or he doesn't grasp the spreading, stubborn, epidemic nature of Milwaukee's crime crisis plague.
Either way, it's bad.At their news conference, Hegerty and Barrett highlighted decreases in homicides, nonfatal shootings and armed robberies. But they didn't mention that aggravated assault rose 4% citywide from May 20 through Aug. 31, compared with the same period last year.
...Barrett said police told him about the increase in aggravated assaults, and he would have shared the information had he been asked.
Although he is concerned about aggravated assaults, Barrett said it is more important to highlight the 174 guns taken off the street by officers assigned to the initiative. Taking guns off the street doesn't stop violent crimes, but it means those incidents are less likely to turn into homicides or nonfatal shootings, he said.
This is an embarrassment.
Hegerty and Barrett should have leveled with the community. They should have been honest and revealed the good with the bad.
Barrett's claim that he knew about the increase in aggravated assaults but didn't share the information because he wasn't asked is so lame. A "don't ask, don't tell" policy when it comes to crime in the city is deceptive. It is no way to lead."Gee, honey, I would have told you about my affair, but you didn't ask."
The following figures are truly disturbing:Aggravated assaults actually increased more in the aldermanic districts where the patrols were concentrated, the analysis shows.
In the six districts that were at least partly within the initiative's target zone, aggravated assaults were up 5.5% By contrast, aggravated assaults rose only 2% in the nine districts that saw less - if any - of the beefed-up patrols.
Yet some of the aldermanic districts outside the target zone saw bigger increases, and the two with the biggest increases were adjacent to the target zone. In Ald. Tony Zielinski's Bay View district, aggravated assaults shot up 50%, while Ald. Mike D'Amato's east side district was the site of 21% more aggravated assaults than the previous summer.
A 50% increase in Zielinski's Bay View district?
That's enormous.Barrett says the citywide decrease in crime proves that crime is not being shifted. But that only means the initiative's critics are wrong to claim that all central-city crime was moved to other parts of the city. As the figures show, some crime could increase in some areas while decreases elsewhere push down the citywide totals.
Zielinski said he supported efforts to increase police presence but would not comment on the numbers for his district until he could study them in greater detail.
Barrett said it was possible that a crime spree by a single criminal or gang of criminals could lead to a spike in crime in a particular neighborhood.
Barrett should quit playing around with the numbers and offering excuses.
To be sure, the NSI produced some positive results. However, while the program to tackle the crime crisis in Milwaukee was in place, there were some dramatic shifts in crime in the city, too. That's undeniable.
Furthermore, it's undeniable that Hegerty and Barrett were not forthcoming about the program's results.
If Barrett wants to argue that crime didn't shift, fine. But then he also must admit that parts of the city, such as the Bay View area, are simply becoming more dangerous and dramatically more crime-ridden. ...Barrett said he believed crime went down citywide largely because criminals got the message that police had stepped up patrols. He also said criminals could not predict where those patrols would be because the police moved frequently.
I think criminals got the message, loud and clear. They got the message to SHIFT their activities outside the areas targeted by the NSI.
The figures back that up and so does common sense. ____________________
The latest from Mayor Tom Barrett's office: THE BARRETT REPORT
Not a word about the 50% increase in aggravated assaults in the Bay View area. Nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada.
At the invitation of Alderman Tony Zielinski of the 14th District, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa came to Milwaukee on Friday to discuss the feasibility of establishing a Guardian Angels chapter in the city. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had a story online on Friday, but it was posted at 7:03 a.m.
So while the report explained what the Guardian Angels are about and gave the day's schedule of events, there was no coverage of what was said or what happened when Sliwa was in the city.Sliwa is visiting the city on the invitation of Ald. Tony Zielinski, who will meet with Sliwa along with Common Council President Willie Hines and Ald. Bob Donovan, head of the city's Public Safety Committee.
Today's meeting, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at City Hall, will also include six officers from the Milwaukee Police Department's command staff and other dignitaries.
The meeting will follow with a tentative itinerary that includes a sample Angel walk-through with aldermen at S. Kinnickinnic and E. Lincoln avenues in Bay View and S. 13th St. and W. Oklahoma Ave. Later in the evening, Sliwa will start a walk-through at N. Hopkins St. and W. Villard Ave.
"The police can't be everywhere, and the Guardian Angels have shown an ability to get in touch with people in tough neighborhoods and to get the people in the community involved in trying to make a difference," said Zielinski, a proponent of stepped-up public safety efforts who has sponsored measures to add more Milwaukee police officers.
On FOX 6, Tami Hughes covered Sliwa's visit. She referred to the Guardian Angels as "the neighborhood watch kicked up a notch."
For the most part, the Guardian Angles serve as an extra set of eyes and ears for police.
Ald. Zielinski said that more than the Neighborhood Safety Initiative (NSI) needs to be done. He said, "As far as public safety is concerned, the government needs to be as proactive as possible. We need to be able to think out of the box."
Hughes reported that the police representatives didn't say much during the meeting, but they are interested in meeting with Sliwa at another time that's "more private."
At the meeting, inner city business owner John Veidal expressed his concerns about safety and community relations. He said later, "[Sliwa's] got some great ideas."
But for the Guardian Angels to work in Milwaukee, Sliwa needs volunteers and open minds.
Sliwa said, "If it is to be, it's up to me; that one person can make a difference and begin to turn things around."
I give credit to Ald. Zielinski for initiating the contact with Sliwa and looking into a Guardian Angels chapter in Milwaukee. Ald. Donovan deserves credit, too, for supporting Zielinski in this effort to tackle the crime problem in Milwaukee in an innovative way, with citizens volunteering to protect their neighborhoods.
Unlike many do nothing aldermen, Zielinski and Donovan are leading the charge against increasing crime in Milwaukee. They are pressing other city leaders to act. They aren't willing to surrender, to sit back and watch as thugs take over Milwaukee's streets.
Two Milwaukee Police Officers were in the right place at the right time to get three lowlifes off the streets.The thugs had just carried out an armed robbery when the police caught up with them.Three teenagers are accused of robbing a Bay View McDonalds. It happened around 9 p.m. Tuesday at 830 E. Potter Avenue. Police say the teens went into the restaurant, one displayed a gun, took money and got into a vehicle. Milwaukee Police Officers Pat Paget and Juan Lopez were in the area at the time. They heard a car peeling out and thought it was suspicious so they followed it. The people inside were throwing items out of the car and driving erratically. Police pulled them over and found evidence linked to the crime. All three teenagers were arrested. They are all males, ages 15, 18 and 19. No one was injured.
The good news is the criminals were arrested.
The bad news is another Bay View business was robbed.
Maybe it's time once again for Mayor Tom Barrett to take a walk.Question: Will police still be patrolling that area after the Neighborhood Safety Initiative ends on September 8?Barrett can't personally patrol every city street when the summer is over.
"Nothing like that ever happens in this area."
Sadly, I think Bay View residents and business owners and patrons may need to reevaluate the area.
MILWAUKEE -- A 54-year-old man is dead after being shot in the chest by a Milwaukee police officer in the Bay view neighborhood during an alleged robbery attempt Monday.
Milwaukee police say they responded to a call for an attempted armed robbery and shots fired in the 2300 block of S. Howell Ave. The victim reported that a suspect attempted to rob him, and then when the victim fled, the suspect fired a weapon at him. The victim was not injured.
An eyewitness said he saw the man with a gun walking down the street when he was approached by police. police yelled for the man to drop his weapon several times, but he didn't comply, the witness said.
"A Milwaukee Police Officer, in uniform and in a marked squad, approached the suspect," said police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz in a statement Tuesday. "The suspect had his hands concealed under a coat, and refused to respond to the officer’s repeated commands to show his hands. The suspect then pulled out a gun and refused to drop it, at which time the officer discharged his weapon, striking the suspect.
"The next thing you know there was one shot and the guy was on the ground," Vern Snyder, witness, stated.
That sounds like it could be a case of Suicide by Cop.*UPDATE below
..."I heard cops yelling four times 'don't do it, don't do it' then I heard a gunshot," Robert Czerwinski, witness, said.
A several-block area was roped off after the 10:30 a.m. police shooting in the 2100 block of S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
The officer who shot the suspect is a 41-year-old man with 16 years on the Milwaukee police force.
The officer had no choice. The suspect did.
It's the officer's duty to protect the public. This armed and dangerous man had to be stopped. The neighborhood where the shooting took place is very busy, with many shops, eateries and a popular park.
"I was just surprised because nothing like that ever happens in this area," Czerwinski added.
It's true that there was a time when nothing like that ever happened in that area of the city.
Those days appear to be gone.Crisis? What crisis?_____________________________
UPDATE:
It appears that this may have been a case of "suicide by cop."
Suicide wish suspected
The man whom Milwaukee police shot fatally on Tuesday was a Vietnam veteran and local musician who had recently had problems and spoke of having little to live for, his sister said Wednesday.
She identified her brother as Steve Bucholtz of Milwaukee.
"My heart goes out to the officer involved. I'm praying for him and his family. I hope that he doesn't hold any personal guilt from this traumatic event," said the sister, Tonya O'Brien.
...O'Brien said her brother was never in trouble with the law before, but he had problems recently and "felt like he had nothing more to live for and this might be an OK way to go." She speculated that the robbery attempt and shots were meant to attract police.
Police said they were investigating whether the man might have intended suicide.
"The scene investigation would lead us to believe that he may have had some issues along that line," Lt. Thomas Stigler said.
Bucholtz's sister said he had a master's degree in business, had served in Vietnam and was a talented musician who played the guitar and wrote songs. According to various Web sites, he had performed with the Last Canyon Band and the Twang Dragons.
"He wasn't a robber," O'Brien said.
Tuesday evening around 7:00 PM, three wannabe Bay View Bandits were planning to rob Tenuta's.
MPD arrested a 14-year-old male and two 16-year-old males for attempting to rob Tenuta’s. Police say all three were armed. One had a box cutter, another had a slim jim and the third had a BB gun. MPD says the boys were standing outside Tenuta’s Restaurant and were putting on bandannas. Someone inside thought that looked suspicious so they called police. Police arrived on the scene a short time later. When they arrived they, saw the suspects outside still putting on bandannas. Police say the teens admitted they were going to commit sometime of criminal act.
I thought the Bay View robberies were over.
Wrong.
It's a good thing that police were called and the thugs were apprehended. I hope they get more than a slap on the wrist.
So is this the beginning of another Bay View crime spree, or is this really just a continuation of the past string of robberies?
Was the last month just a temporary lull in the criminal activity in the area?
Where are the parents of the 14 and 16-year-old would-be robbers?
Perhaps their parents were out robbing some other establishment.
Mayor Tom Barrett said on Monday that he doesn't want to flail. Not fail, FLAIL.
So, what brought Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, Alderman Tony Zielinski, Captain Eduardo Negron of District Two, and other Milwaukee Police Department officials to the Bay View High School auditorium on Monday night?
Crime.
Cards went out to Bay View residents inviting them to "attend a public meeting covering crime and public safety issues."
Bay View business owners and their employees were scheduled to meet with "Milw. Police Department officials and Ald. Zielinski" from 6:00pm to 6:45pm. Residents were invited to meet with them from 7:00pm to 8:30pm.
The gathering was organized to address the robberies of the months long Bay View crime spree. Actually, the robberies weren't only a Bay View problem. The crimes occurred over a wide area, including the city and suburbs.
Candidates up for election tomorrow made the most of the event to do some last minute campaigning. Representatives from the campaigns of Jennifer Havas, Bill Pocan, and Terry Falk were posted at the entrance to the school, handing out literature to people as they entered the meeting. Judge Bill Pocan and school board candidate Terry Falk were there to shake hands with potential voters.
Given that Monday night was the NCAA final, the meeting was relatively well attended.
At the meeting for residents, Ald. Zielinski acted as host. It began with brief remarks from Mayor Barrett and D.A. John Chisholm. Cpt. Negron also spoke. They received a polite, even warm, reception from the crowd.
Barrett reiterated his usual lines about guns. Chisholm talked about his reorganization of the D.A.'s office to get better coordination between the prosecutors and the police. Negron mentioned the District meetings, stressing the importance of law enforcement and the community working together.
Then, the public was invited to ask questions.
The first came from a woman. She said she was mad. She had spent years living in Bay View and always felt safe. That's changed. She has concerns about her neighborhood that she didn't have before. Her question was about guns. Were the guns used in the robberies registered?
The point she was making was the pointlessness of the sort of legislation that Barrett keeps whining about getting enacted, as if that's a solution.
Tougher gun laws won't keep the guns out of the criminals' hands.
At some point, there was discussion of the robberies being gang-related. Barrett kept referring to a series running in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about "crime crews." He didn't seem to know or didn't want to say that the Spanish Cobras were connected to the robberies.
Another woman told her story of being robbed at knife-point and the anxiety problems she's suffered since the trauma.
Barrett responded with a Bill Clinton "I feel your pain" story, telling of the 1994 break-in of his home.
A man asked about graffiti on a pizza place that hadn't been removed in spite of repeated complaints. Zielinski used the term "War on Graffiti" and promised it would be taken care of.
One woman spoke of her brother, a homicide victim in 2005. The murderer was never caught. She thanked "everyone here," meaning the mayor and the other officials, for doing such a great job in dealing with the robberies. She said she felt safe but worried about the rest of the city and that there was not enough "manpower" to handle all the problems.
Another woman talked about being afraid to report suspicious people in the neighborhood out of fear of being called racist.
Before Barrett cut out early, he talked of his many contacts with Governor Jim Doyle and the collaborative effort being made to tackle the city's problems.
He spoke of the societal problems, the lack of jobs and the impact that has had on crime. He said when he speaks to high school students he starts off by introducing himself and then saying to them, "I'm begging you to stay in school," because the manufacturing jobs that were once plentiful in Milwaukee are gone. (It might be a good idea to beg them not to steal and kill, too.)
Basically, it was the same old, same old from the mayor -- No jobs. Too many guns. It's not my fault. Everyone has to work together.
Some of the comments from officials weren't answers to the questions posed. They seemed to veer off into using tired lines from old stump speeches.
Without question there is a disconnect between what citizens are experiencing and how officials assess the situation.
Chisholm told the group that Milwaukee is "remarkably safe." WHAT?
That's a tough sell to a neighborhood that's been plagued by a massive crime outbreak. Tell that to the people who had guns in their faces as they were robbed. Tell that to the business patrons ordered to floors while gun-toting thugs stole money.
Barrett does deserve credit for surfacing and facing city residents.
I think he cares. I just think he doesn't have what it takes to take back the city from the thugs.
Barrett said, "I'm not someone who is a screamer. I don't want to flail. I don't think flailing gets us anywhere."
Who's "flailing"? It seemed like a possible shot at Alderman Bob Donovan for suggesting that the National Guard be brought in to assist patrolling the city.
Barrett said there were two ways to approach the crime problem.
One is to make it clear to the bad guys that "we're coming after you."
The other approach is to say "everything's out of control." He said that such a reaction to the thugs from leaders and the media and citizens serves to "encourage them."
Barrett went into full politician mode.
"Public safety is my #1 priority."
"We're never going to throw up our arms and say it's out of control because it isn't out of control."
I'd like to know Barrett's definition of "out of control."
While I do think it's wise to stay level-headed and work to solve the crime problem, I think it's a mistake to deny that the city's crime is out of control.
In spite of all the best efforts of some elected officials and law enforcement, Milwaukee is rapidly deteriorating.
Before you can solve the problem, it's necessary to acknowledge the magnitude of the problem.
I don't think Barrett needs to scream it, but he does need to say it.
He needs to say that as mayor he will not tolerate the crime in Milwaukee. He needs to admit the reality of the situation.
Barrett shouldn't say that he is out of control. Saying crime is out of control is another thing altogether.
The mayor shouldn't flail. He should get tough and take dramatic action. The issue for Barrett isn't flailing; it's failing.As Milwaukee's leader, he should be concerned about securing the safety of the people and admit to the reality of the crisis that threatens to doom the city.
It appears that Bay View and south side Milwaukee residents, business owners, and their patrons can breathe a sigh of relief. The criminals terrorizing the area for months are in custody.
Six thugs have been charged for the string of robberies. The five men and one woman facing charges of armed robbery with threat of force are Paul Asik Jr., 30; Xavier Perez, 18; Brendaly Gonzalez, 19; Angel DeJesus, 21; Carmelo Vaszquez Jr., 32 and Christian Colon, 19.
Colon is also charged with felony murder and sexual assault. Gonzalez is he only suspect without a prior criminal record in Wisconsin.
So, the Bay View Bandit turned out to be a band of bandits. That should come as no surprise, given the various descriptions of the robbers.As suspected, Colon was involved with the murder of Nicholas G. Knutowski during an attempted robbery at Marty's Party tavern. That was back in early January, many crimes ago.
Thankfully, the police finally got this 19-year-old terror off the streets. A 19-year-old murderer! Sadly, it wasn't soon enough to save Knutowski's life.
Note that five of the six have a prior criminal record. They aren't rookies.
The six people charged so far are among more than a dozen arrested for the robberies. That's a lot of bad guys put away -- at least for now.
Although the crimes are being solved and the criminals are being held accountable, I wonder about the long term effects of the crime crisis.
I wonder if there will be any lasting impact on the area because of all the robberies.
Will people ever feel as safe as they once did?
I suppose people will eventually relax, as long as there's not another string of robberies.
People will probably feel comfortable again; but I don't think it will be the same.
Once innocence is lost it's lost forever. ___________________________
The robberies were the work of the Spanish Cobras.
The arrests of suspects believed to be linked to the South Side Spanish Cobras gang cleared nearly 40 armed robberies that stretched across Milwaukee and nearby suburban communities where small businesses and customers were targeted by masked men wielding guns for months.
Twelve people have been arrested in the crimes which were heavily publicized in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood but have since been connected to several communities, including St. Francis, South Milwaukee, Cudahy, West Allis, Greenfield, West Milwaukee, Glendale, Wauwatosa and Waterford in Racine County, Milwaukee police Deputy Chief Brian O'Keefe said today.
O'Keefe said police continue to seek more suspects in the cases, however, six people ranging in age from 18 to 32 have been charged so far in Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
Gang activity is not new to Milwaukee.
Read more here and here and here.
The Milwaukee Police Department has spent decades trying to dismantle the gangs.
It seems with each step forward there's two steps back.
You'd think leaders would make the issue a priority. You'd think.
ONE of the thugs terrorizing Bay View and the south side of Milwaukee has been charged.
From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:The first criminal charges in a robbery spree that plagued the Bay View area and St. Francis since November were filed Thursday.
According to a criminal complaint, Paul Brian Asik Jr., 30, confessed to three of the armed robberies: Lopez Bakery, 1601 W. Lincoln Ave., on Jan. 25; Radio Shack, 1844 S. 15th St., on Feb. 10; and Bella's Fat Cat, 2737 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., on Feb. 18.
Asik told police he commissioned a "neighborhood crackhead" to rob the Radio Shack, had a friend drive a getaway car from Lopez Bakery and robbed Bella's Fat Cat on his own, the complaint says.
...Asik faces three counts of being party to armed robbery with a threat of force and would face a maximum sentence of 120 years in prison and $300,000 in fines if convicted on all charges.
He also admitted to participating in other robberies with multiple accomplices, the complaint alleges.
The Milwaukee County district attorney's office said more people are expected to be charged in the robbery spree....
Great!
Asik will be held accountable for his crimes. He could be looking at years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.
What will his punishment be?
It won't be 120 years in prison.
No doubt, Asik will be back out on the streets and back to "work" relatively soon.
I don't think the slap on the wrist he'll probably get will deter him.
He'll be back. ________________________
MORE on Asik:Asik has a history of "bad behavior."
It goes back over a decade.
Asik was charged with participating in a shooting that wounded a six-year-old boy.Paul B. Asik Jr., 20, of the 2100 block of S. 15th Pl., has been charged with participating in a shooting Dec. 4 that wounded a 6-year-old boy. He was incorrectly identified in Tuesday's Journal Sentinel based on Circuit Court records that do not list him as Asik Jr.
This correction is from The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 25, 1996.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!Asik is obviously an experienced thug.
In spite of the fact that the media kept reporting on the Bay View and far south side robberies as if they were the work of one man, or as of Sunday, one man and his female accomplice, a statement from the Milwaukee Police Department FINALLY clarifies how misleading those reports were.
From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:The series of armed robberies that rattled the Bay View neighborhood and dozens of south side businesses appears to have been the work of a gang, and not a small one, police revealed Monday.
"We have numerous people in custody and we're seeking others," Milwaukee police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said at a morning briefing. "There's a whole lot more (suspects) than two."
For weeks, I've been pointing out that one person was not responsible.
Earlier today, I said it once again with the news that two people were arrested in connection to the robberies.
It makes sense to me that the robberies have been the work of a gang.
It should be reassuring to people in the area that police have "numerous people in custody."
That fact that police are seeking others should remind them that it's not time to breathe easy yet.
Actually, I think the days of breathing easy in Milwaukee are over; but it does seem that the police have made major progress in solving the Bay View/far south side crime outbreak since December.
That's good news.
There was good news for Bay View business owners, customers, and residents on Sunday.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:
2 arrested in Bay View-area robbery spree
Merchants relieved; 20 holdups since December
Milwaukee police announced Sunday that they have arrested two suspects in a rash of armed robberies that reverberated from the south side to the South Shore.
The arrests represent a potential breakthrough in about 20 robberies that have occurred since December in the Bay View neighborhood and St. Francis.
Merchants who have been on edge breathed a sigh of relief Sunday after hearing that suspects were in custody.
"That would be great for us," said Mike Schmidt, owner of Bella's Fat Cat, a Bay View restaurant hit by robbers Feb. 18. "Everybody can relax a little bit," he said.
Police Capt. Darlene Jenkins said the two suspects were taken into custody this weekend but that additional details would not be released until today.
Jenkins said investigators did not want to say much while still piecing together details.
"We don't want to spoil it," she said. "It's too big a case."
At least one of the robberies was reported in St. Francis, and police there were helping Milwaukee investigators examine the two suspects.
Again and again, the media keep lumping the 20 robberies together.
Although many of the reports of these robberies often gave very sketchy descriptions of the suspects (if any at all), some provided clear inconsistencies about the suspects that would suggest the robberies weren't all carried out by the same people.
Nonetheless, the media keep tying them all together in a neat little package.
That's very misleading.
This report points out that the robberies may not all be related, but then inexplicably states that the suspects are accused of all twenty.Police Make Arrests In String Of South-Side Robberies
All Robberies May Not Be Related
Milwaukee police made two arrests in the recent string of south-side robberies.
The suspects are accused of robbing more than 20 businesses at gunpoint on Milwaukee's south side and Bay View neighborhoods.
Police have not said how the suspects were connected to the crimes, but did say the arrests were made over the weekend.
The arrests came prior to another armed robbery Saturday night.
Honey Dip Donuts on South Layton Boulevard was robbed at gunpoint.
...The men got away with cash and police are still looking for those thieves.
It would be great if the two arrests that police made over the weekend would solve the crime that's overrunning the city and beyond.
I'm afraid that's unrealistic.
Is this latest robbery connected to the now highly publicized Bay View/far south side crime spree?
From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:A south side bookstore was robbed early this morning but few details are being released as Milwaukee police continue to investigate the case today.
Police said one armed suspect robbed Libra Books, 2945 S. 13th St., about 1:30 a.m. A description was not released. No one was hurt.
...The bookstore is less than three miles from a Starbucks coffee shop at 2110 E. Oklahoma Ave. that was robbed on Monday.
St. Francis police are also investigating whether the armed robbery at a Blockbuster Video on Wednesday night could be part of the recent south side spree.
Few details are being released.
Whatever.
Does it matter whether or not this robbery is connected to the rash of crime spreading in Bay View and on the far south side, as far as St. Francis?
Who cares if it's the same person or persons?
What really counts is that crime is rampant.
The media have latched on to the spree because the idea that one man or one group is out there preying on people makes for an interesting story.
The big story isn't the possibility that the robberies are connected.
The big story is that the sort of crime that is commonplace in other areas of Milwaukee is becoming commonplace in Bay View and on the previously "safe" side.
So it took a lengthy string of robberies, occurring since DECEMBER 2006, to get Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to respond.
As reported in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:[Police spokeswoman Anne E.] Schwartz said police officials, Mayor Tom Barrett and area residents planned to walk through Bay View tonight night to promote safety.
Of course, this is a purely symbolic gesture.
I'm not knocking symbolism.
It says something that the mayor and Bay View residents are going on their walk. It says that people who live and work in the area aren't going to allow their neighborhood to be like so many of the other neighborhoods in Milwaukee -- violent, dangerous, chaotic hellholes.
It also says that Barrett wants to show that he cares. I believe he does care. I don't think he's a bad guy. I just think he's failing miserably when it comes to dealing with crime.
Unfortunately, appearing at the safety walk isn't enough. Speeches about stricter gun legislation out of Madison aren't enough. Giving commonsense tips about keeping a home and business safe isn't enough.
The fact is the buck stops with Barrett. He avoids "the buck" like the plague, but there's no dodging it.
How many times have we heard the Left refer to "Bush's war"?
I suppose the robberies should be called "Barrett's crime."
What is Barrett proposing to deal with "his" crime? A surge?
I demand a timetable. I want to see progress in Milwaukee by .... What's a good date?
How about Memorial Day? Sound good to you?
Yes, I like it -- Memorial Day it is.
Barrett has to take REAL action to tackle the crime problem immediately.
He has to do more than walk.
His time would be better spent tonight reading Rudy Giuliani's book, Leadership.
This is getting to be like Groundhog Day!
Another day, another report of a robbery.
From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:The series of armed robberies on the city's south side extended to the RadioShack at 3555 S. 27th St. last night.
In a pattern repeated more than 20 times since December, the bandit waved a handgun and ordered employees and customers to the floor, after entering the shop about 7:24 p.m. He then directed a worker to hand over money from the cash register and took money from a customer near the counter.
Police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said the circumstances were similar enough for police to consider the robbery part of a crime spree being carried out by a single suspect, who has targeted businesses in and around the Bay View neighborhood.
The victims in the Tuesday night robbery described the culprit as 5 feet 9 inches to six feet tall.
He wore a brown bandana and pulled a gray hood around his face to conceal his features. He also wore khaki pants, brown boots and dark-colored gloves.
His clothing has varied in the robberies and victims have described the gun used as black or silver. In each instance, he has covered his face with a scarf or bandana.
Some of the victims have described robbers in the cases as a white man, although his features have been hidden by his clothing. Schwartz said police officials, Mayor Tom Barrett and area residents planned to walk through Bay View tonight night to promote safety.
This is one of the most detailed descriptions of the thug given to the public so far.
Of course, most of the other reports were sorely lacking in details about the perpetrator.
Still, the reporting is shoddy.
The "20 times since December" pattern does NOT involve just the stocky white guy.
The suggestion is that one man is terrorizing the area. That's not the case.
This one guy fits the description of the suspect for a bunch of the robberies, but not all.
What more is there to say about this?
HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY!
I guess the crime is destined to continue because the groundhog saw his shadow.
Finally, local media and the police are discussing what Bay View residents already knew -- There's a crime problem in the area, a BIG problem.
The crime spree has made the TV news.
Why now?
Maybe people freak out when a Starbucks gets robbed.
That's the tipping point, I guess.
Actually, I think the TV coverage was related to the police department's statement on Tuesday that 20 area businesses have been robbed since December.
From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bay View business owners gathered Monday at the former VFW post to talk with officials about crime prevention in a neighborhood that has been shook up by an armed bandit.
...Milwaukee police said Tuesday that there have been 20 similar robberies of businesses in the neighborhood since December, starting with Fantasy Gifts.
"We can't say they're all related, but we are looking at them as a group because of the similarities," Police Department spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said.
The method is usually the same. The robber walks in with a gun, sometimes orders customers to the ground, demands money from a cashier and flees. He covers his face with a scarf. More recently, he began wearing sunglasses. No one has been hurt.
He was described as a white man, about 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall with a stocky build. On Monday, he wore a blue, thigh-length jacket, a dark-colored hooded sweat shirt and baggy blue jeans. He also wore white winter gloves. He carried a gray, semiautomatic gun.
Bill Sell, who has lived in Bay View for 24 years, said he and others will gather out in front of Bella's Fat Cat, 2737 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., at 8 tonight to walk the neighborhood. Bella's was robbed Feb. 18.
On the whole, Bay View residents are committed to their neighborhood.
They've invested in their homes and businesses; and some, if not most, won't surrender what they've built without a fight.
Unfortunately, the media and the police aren't doing a very good job of informing the public about the crime explosion.
This JS article, for example, is misleading.
The way it's written, it sounds as if the suspect in the robberies has been a white man.
Not so.
Applebee's was robbed a week ago by a black man. Patrons of an Applebee's in Bay View were ordered to the ground at gunpoint when the restaurant was robbed late last night.
The suspect entered the restaurant, 270 W. Holt Ave., at 10:15 p.m. and pointed the gun at customers. He took a cash drawer and fled, according to police.
Police described the suspect as being a black male in his 30s, 6'1" tall and wearing a puffy coat with a fur hood.
This man had a gun. He ordered patrons to the floor; but he wasn't white and he wasn't short.
In some of the other robberies, a trio of men wearing masks committed the crimes, not one stocky white man.
A threesome ordered restaurant patrons to the floor as they robbed Tenuta's in January. Three men wearing masks also robbed Layton Heights bar. That was in December.
So, the theory is the robberies are connected, even though in some cases the perpetrators were three men wearing masks, in another case the crime was committed by a lone black man with a fur-hooded puffy coat, and in other instances the robber is a stocky white man.
It's hard to compile complete information on the crimes since reports often didn't provide details of the robberies beyond the fact that the suspect (or suspects) was male and had a gun.
In sum, it's clear that the method is NOT usually the same.
It certainly doesn't appear that one person is responsible for all or most of the robberies.
Why give the impression that one person is behind the crime outbreak?Is there supposed to be some comfort in believing that there's just one suspect, a stocky white guy?
If so, it's a false sense of comfort because it's not true.
There's more than one person preying on Bay View and far south side businesses.
That's not what the print and broadcast media are reporting, and it's not what the police department is leading the public to believe.
A dose of reality is badly needed.
It's just another day in the neighborhood.
Last Thursday, Groppi's, Bay View's beloved Italian grocery store, was robbed by an armed man.
I said:I wonder which Bay View business will be the next to be victimized.
Tonight or tomorrow, where will patrons be told to hit the floor as a thug with a gun robs the place?
It will happen.
I can't take any credit whatsoever for the accuracy of my prediction.
It was like predicting that the sun will set tonight and rise again tomorrow.
Read more about crime in Bay View and on the far south side here and here and here and here.
Here's news of the latest victim of the crime spree:
The robbery of a Starbucks Monday night is similar to as many as 20 other robberies in the Bay View area since December, Milwaukee police said today.
"We can't say they're all related but we are looking at them as a group because of the similarities," department spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said.
The coffee shop, 2110 E. Oklahoma Ave., was robbed at 6:40 p.m. by a man who pointed a gun at a customer and cashier. He got their money and fled.
He was described as a white male, about 5-feet-8-inches to 5-feet-9-inches tall with a stocky build. He covered his face with a dark cloth and wore dark sunglasses. He wore a blue, thigh-length jacket, a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and baggy blue jeans. He also had on white winter gloves.
He carried a gray, semi-automatic handgun.
Schwartz said robberies in the area started in December when Fantasy Gifts was robbed.
Police are asking businesses to take the following precautions: Have functional camera equipment and know how to use it; don't have large amounts of cash in cash drawers; make routine cash drops to the bank; have more than one person working at a time; and have an unobstructed view of the business from the street.
The description of the Starbucks robber is very similar to that of the Citgo station suspect.
That man also had a scarf or cloth covering his face.
When that robbery occurred, the scarf was the ONLY description of the criminal. Nothing about height, weight, or race.
Now, the police or the media or both have decided it's time to give more complete descriptions of the suspects.
I've bashed the police and the media repeatedly for providing inadequate information to the public about the thugs terrorizing the area.
I'm glad to see that change.
To my knowledge, this is the first time police department spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz has acknowledged the rash of robberies as being connected in any way.
It's about time. It's long overdue.
I think the precautions being recommended by police to prevent crime are a joke. It's like treating a broken leg with a bandaid.
Is there any business that doesn't follow the suggestion about not keeping a lot of cash on the premises as a matter of normal procedure?
As far as the security cameras go, some of these businesses are small places in what was once a very safe area.
The fact that police are saying all area businesses need camera equipment speaks to the deterioration of the neighborhood.
Because some of the businesses are such small operations, having more than one employee working at a time isn't feasible.
What must be particularly frustrating for the businesses is that none of the suggestions from police would have prevented any of the robberies.
True, cameras might aid in identifying suspects and hopefully result in police being able to find the thugs and get them off the streets. That would cut down on the crimes waiting to happen.
This is what troubles me:
Why did it take so long for the Milwaukee Police Department to formally acknowledge that crime has overrun a previously safe area of the city?
Was there political pressure to not draw attention to the fact that one of the last safe sections of the city has fallen to the thugs?
The crime has plagued the area for months.
TWENTY ROBBERIES.
This is way too little, way too late.
It was just a matter of time.
On Tuesday, the Bay View Applebee's was robbed.
Thursday, it was Groppi's turn.
From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:A popular Bay View grocery store was robbed overnight by a man Milwaukee police suspect may be involved in at least eight similar robberies on the city's south side.
The man entered Groppi's Food Market, 1441 E. Russell Ave., about 7:10 p.m. and showed a silver and black handgun as he ordered everyone onto the floor, according to police. He approached the cashier and also grabbed a purse from a customer. No one was hurt.
Police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said witnesses described the man as a white male, six feet tall, 200 to 225 pounds and having a stocky build. They said he wore a black mask and sunglasses, and black jacket with a yellow or white stripe down the sleeves.
When the man fled the store, other people entering caught a glimpse of his vehicle, but could only provide a vague description. They said it was an older, box-style vehicle with a chrome bumper. It was blue or black in color.
People unfamiliar with the Bay View area of Milwaukee don't understand how shocking and troubling this string of armed robberies is.
Residents are not accustomed to living alongside this sort of lawlessness.
Unfortunately, incidents like these are more common in other parts of the city. These crimes are not business as usual in Bay View and on the far south side.
With each robbery, I keep repeating the ramifications of these crimes.
I'll say it again--
The good, law-abiding people will flee these formerly safe, peaceful, beautiful neighborhoods and leave the city, putting their property tax dollars into the coffers of communities in the suburbs and the ex-burbs.
Milwaukee will continue its downward spiral into chaos.
If the city loses the relatively crime-free stability of Bay View and the far south side, Milwaukee can be pronounced dead.
Why isn't Mayor Tom Barrett addressing the matter?
Is he content to let crime spread while he whines about inadequate gun legislation out of Madison?
I guess so.
The Milwaukee Police Department has been inexcusably slow in releasing descriptions of the suspects.
If the MPD has put out the information, the media have failed to pass it along to the public.
I wonder which Bay View business will be the next to be victimized.
Tonight or tomorrow, where will patrons be told to hit the floor as a thug with a gun robs the place?
It will happen.
Mayor Tom Barrett? Are you there?
Your city is in crisis.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Patrons of an Applebee's in Bay View were ordered to the ground at gunpoint when the restaurant was robbed late last night.
The suspect entered the restaurant, 270 W. Holt Ave., at 10:15 p.m. and pointed the gun at customers. He took a cash drawer and fled, according to police.
Police described the suspect as being a black male in his 30s, 6'1" tall and wearing a puffy coat with a fur hood.
No one was injured in the robbery.
I'm floored by this blurb.
One reason--
A description of the supect was actually included.
Amazing!
Absolutely amazing! The Journal Sentinel tends to shy away from informing the public about what the bad guys look like.
Another reason--
Bay View businesses are sitting ducks. It seems like only a matter of time until patrons are ordered to the floor and a gun-toting thug robs the place. So many of these robberies take place around 10:00 pm.Note to the police: Step up patrols at that time!
What is happening in Bay View and on the far south side of Milwaukee?
The area, Milwaukee's other east side, is turning into a hellhole.
Here's what's happening:CRIME
CRIME
CRIME
CRIMEThe Applebee's robbery further solidifies my opinion:
The good, law-abiding people will flee these formerly safe, peaceful, beautiful neighborhoods and leave the city, putting their property tax dollars into the coffers of communities in the suburbs and the ex-burbs.
Milwaukee will continue its downward spiral into chaos.
It's a lost cause.
One can never completely escape the threat of crime while remaining in an area populated with more people than moose; but it's definitely time to abandon the city.
It's dying. It's terminal. No hope, unless leaders get their act together.
What are the odds of that happening? Very, very slim. Tom Barrett is no Rudy Giuliani.
Given the situation at Mayfair Mall, I don't think it isn't enough to abandon the city. It's time to abandon Milwaukee County.
