Mad Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett

It's not like Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett hasn't shown anger before, but he does tend to keep it in check.

When a jury found three Milwaukee police officers not guilty in the beating of Frank Jude, Jr., Barrett was mad.

He said:

"This has been a long and troubling night for our community. I am absolutely shocked and outraged by these verdicts. Mr. Jude was beaten badly and we need to hold accountable those who are responsible. This is not over."

At a meeting at Bay View High School, discussing the crime spree in the area, Barrett explained his style of leadership.

He said:

"I'm not someone who is a screamer. I don't want to flail. I don't think flailing gets us anywhere."

At that meeting, Barrett said there were two ways to approach Milwaukee's crime and violence problems.

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 was in 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 think it's time for Barrett to admit that IT IS OUT OF CONTROL.

This morning when Police Chief Nan Hegerty announced the Neighborhood Safety Initiative, she was accompanied by Mayor Tom Barrett and Governor Jim Doyle.

A day after a 4-year-old girl was fatally shot in the head, the Milwaukee police chief said she would increase patrols this summer in high-violence areas and the mayor had harsh words for the shooter.

"Some gutless thug decided he would solve his problem by shooting a 4-year-old girl," said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said at a news conference Tuesday. "Boy, what a tough guy to shoot a 4-year-old girl. He can brag about that to all his buddies."

It came a day after a Jasmine Owens was killed in an apparent drive-by shooting as she was playing on the sidewalk in front of her home on a warm evening and a 25-year-old man was fatally shot in the chest in another part of the city.

Milwaukee Police Chief Nan Hegerty said the announcement had been planned before the latest shootings.

The Neighborhood Safety Initiative will put an unspecified number of uniformed officers on the streets from May 20 to Sept. 8, Hegerty said.

Barrett said the initiative would send a message to drug dealers and gang members: "We're coming after you. We're going to catch you. We are going to make this a safe city this summer."

"Gutless thug" -- That's unusually tough language from Barrett.

I thinks it's completely appropriate language, but surprising coming from Barrett.

He's been saying "We're coming after you" for a long time. That's exactly what he said when addressing the public at Bay View High School.

In spite of those claims, things aren't better in the city.

Thugs rule.

Jim Doyle, for his part, was at the news conference to hand over money to help fund the Neighborhood Safe Initiative.

He wants everyone in Wisconsin to be safe. Blah, blah, blah.

Doyle has made money drops before. Last year after Milwaukee's Memorial Day weekend violence, he responded with cash. Of course, it took being shamed by Mark Green and a load of election year politics for him to react.

That was a year ago; and obviously, the efforts didn't solve the problems.

While additional funds and more officers on the streets are helpful, will it be enough?

I doubt it.

The bloody start to last summer was supposed to be the wake up call. Things were going to change. The extra funds from Madison would make a difference.

Did they make a difference?

Ask Jasmine Owens' mother.
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Read more, from the Associated Press:

The Milwaukee Police Department is reassigning some police officers to increase patrols in high crime areas and deal with potential summer violence.

The initiative follows a night of deadly shootings on the city's north and west sides.

In one shooting, 4-year-old Jasmine Owens was killed by a drive-by shooter as she jumped rope with her cousins outside.

Governor Doyle, Mayor Tom Barrett and Police Chief Nannette Hegerty held a news conference today to announce the Neighborhood Safety Initiative, which will cost more than two million dollars. Hegerty won't say how many officers will be reassigned from the city's seven districts from May 20th to September eighth.