Milwaukee is one of a number of American cities to experience a dramatic increase in homicides. Now, according to CBS News, Police Chief Edward Flynn is claiming that “absurdly weak” gun laws are to blame. Despite that assertion, cities such as Baltimore and Chicago, which have restrictive gun laws, are also dealing with a surge in homicides and gun-related crime.
Ironically, Flynn himself voiced a more plausible reason for the escalation, saying that dwindling resources are affecting performance. “A lack of parole and probation officers means that police officers have to conduct parole checks; a lack of mental health services means that officers have to pick up that slack.”
Last year, in a vote held by Milwaukee’s police union, 99 percent of officers who cast ballots said they had “no confidence” in Chief Flynn. Perhaps he is not the most reliable barometer for the city’s crime problems.
