Ed Flynn and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Finally, readers of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel are hearing Police Chief Ed Flynn's reaction to the newspaper's three part series humiliating police officers of the Milwaukee Police Department and victimizing their families.

Last week, the newspaper failed to report comments Flynn made about the series via other media outlets.

Inexcusable.

In an op-ed piece today, Flynn explains the exploitative nature of the Journal Sentinel's reporting.

He writes:

Are the stories the paper chose to tell shocking? Yes. Are they sensational? Yes. Are they humiliating? Without a doubt. Do they represent the norms of the members of the Milwaukee Police Department? Absolutely not.

We in policing know that decisions must be driven by data, not anecdotes. So what does the data say? We did the analysis for them:
Highlighted cases span 31 years;
86% occurred before my administration;
39% are more than 10 years old;
The 93 officers represent 2% of the nearly 5,000 officers who have been employed by MPD during the time span covered;
The median discipline for domestic violence and drunken driving was two days between 1997 and 2004. My median discipline has been 30 days;
Of the six overturned firing cases, three occurred before 1994; three between 2004 and 2007.

After 24 years as a police chief executive, I know the difference between attempting to reform a troubled system and exploitation. The Journal Sentinel "crossed the line."

It is one thing to draw attention to officers who engage in criminal behavior and were put back to work by an external review authority. It is quite another to publicly humiliate officers whose behaviors, although troubling, were manifestations of imperfect humanity rather than official, willful misconduct. It is even worse when the paper re-victimizes domestic violence victims by providing sufficient information to identify them, often years after the couples have reconciled and gone on with their lives.

...Policing is dangerous. The physical hazards of policing are memorialized on tablets of stone. But the psychic hazards of policing are even greater. Policing is the most emotionally hazardous occupation in government. Officers are subjected to an unremitting series of tragic human events. They see the worst of people and people at their worst.

It is no surprise that studies have consistently demonstrated high rates of alcohol abuse, divorce and suicide among officers. Too many turn to alcohol to relieve stress. Too often, the stress of work causes stress at home. Too often, troubled officers turn to their firearm for relief from depression. We at MPD are confronting these problems. Discipline has been stiffened. We are actively educating our officers. In a supportive environment, self-referrals to employee assistance programs have significantly increased. Cops want to do the right thing.

The newspaper is part of a police department's public accountability network. We in the profession must respect that even when we feel unfairly maligned. "Due process" holds officers accountable. But there is no due process in a newspaper. There, the price of public service is public humiliation.

I don't think the Journal Sentinel cares about the consequences of its irresponsible reporting.

There's no concern regarding the impact its series has on the lives of the police officers and their families.

Without question, the officers are being exploited.

The Journal Sentinel, rather than serving as a watchdog of the police department, has chosen the role of vicious attack dog.