TMJ4: Flynn's Affair and Crime Stats

TMJ4 continues to focus on the affair Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn had with journalist Jessica McBride.

On the 10:00 PM newscast, rather than highlight the fact that crime is down in Milwaukee by 15% in 2009, the first order of business for TMJ4 was the affair.

That is bizarre.

TMJ4 is veering more and more toward TMZ type news.

Aaron Diamant covered the story.

Police Chief Ed Flynn is for the first time answering questions about his affair.

He first admitted to the affair last month, but Wednesday he spoke about it for the first time with reporters.

More than two weeks after the news broke, a Wednesday press conference about the city's falling crime rate is where the Chief finally decided he'd answer questions.

TODAY'S TMJ 4 reporter Aaron Diamant asked, "There's been some questions raised about the affect on credibility and your ability to lead the department. Your thoughts on that and where you go from here?"

To which Flynn replied, "As I said two weeks ago, I've apologized to my family, I've apologized to the Mayor, to the command staff, the members of my department and the residents of this community. On the private side of my life, I'm working hard to restore my credibility, and my family is the most important credibility right now."

Clearly, the last few weeks have been rough, but Flynn still maintains the affair happened off the clock, and never affected his job as the city's top cop.

"Publicly, my responsibility is to focus on the challenges that confront this city in terms of crime, fear, and disorder, and that's what I'm devoted to doing."

As for a citizens group led by organizer Lamont Harris, that says the Chief violated ethics rules and a state law by having the affair, Flynn says, "I haven't been contacted by any community groups. There's a community individual, who's got a perfect right to access the system as any other citizen does, and that's their right and they'll engage with the system, and the system will play out how it plays out. I can't control that."

Technically, adultery is against the law in Wisconsin, though it's almost never prosecuted.

TMJ4 video here.

The crime stats in Milwaukee were secondary, reported almost as an afterthought.

What's really strange about this is that the press conference was held to announce the crime situation in the city. Is progress being made?

Instead of that being the big news, TMJ4 chose to trumpet the FIRST TIME Flynn spoke about the affair ahead of the crime story.

That was a very poor decision.

Sleazy.