Hate Crimes, Cops, and the Community

In terms of relations with the Milwaukee community, this incident is disastrous for the MPD.

That said, I'm not troubled that these officers were not charged with hate crimes. It appears that Jude was not targeted because of his race. I think it does a disservice to all the citizens of Milwaukee for McGee and others to be framing this in that fashion. It unnecessarily stirs up unrest.

I'm not disturbed with feelings that the charges aren't stiff enough for this savage beating. However, it does bother me that some won't be happy unless the case HINGES on race. While the relationship between the police and the minority community should not be ignored, I believe it distracts from the effort to serve justice in this situation. By focusing on the hate crime issue, it becomes less about the specifics of this particular case and punishing those involved, and more about the larger picture of race relations in the city.

What is of most concern to me is the way other officers on the scene and the uniformed police responded. I think it's quite clear they gave their fellow officers preferential treatment.

Unfortunately, this certainly is not the first incident where a man was beaten by a mob, nor is it the first time witnesses refused to cooperate. The problem is the beaters and witnesses are police officers. District Attorney McCann and the department blew it by dragging their feet.