Thread: Milwaukee Co. WI Sheriff Tells Residents To Arm Themselves not best option, urges res

Sheriff's radio ad says 911 not best option, urges residents to take firearms classes


Tom Lynn

Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. speaks to the city's public safety committee this month.


By Bruce Vielmetti, Steve Schultze and Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel
Jan. 25, 2013
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Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. set off alarm bells Friday with a radio spot some view as a call for citizens to arm themselves.
In the radio ad, Clarke tells residents personal safety isn't a spectator sport anymore, and that "I need you in the game."
"With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option," Clarke intones.
"You could beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight back."
Clarke urges listeners to take a firearm safety course and handle a firearm "so you can defend yourself until we get there."
"You have a duty to protect yourself and your family. We're partners now. Can I count on you?"
The spot aired at least once - during the last hour of the Mark Belling show on WISN-AM (1130) on Thursday. Clarke spokeswoman Fran McLaughlin posted it to the department website on Friday. She said she did not know where else or how often the spot would be broadcast, or how much the department spent to air it.
Clarke has served as lightning rod before, most recently when he called for schools to arm teachers after the Newtown, Conn., massacre of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school. News of the sheriff's gun ad quickly generated feedback.
Jodie Tabak, Mayor Tom Barrett's spokeswoman, released this statement:
"Apparently, Sheriff David Clarke is auditioning for the next Dirty Harry movie."
"Dirty Harry" was one in a series of films in the 1970s and '80s starring actor Clint Eastwood as Detective Harry Callahan of the San Francisco Police Department.
The Greenfield Police Department issued advice on its Facebook page, saying none of its officers was laid off or furloughed, that violent crime is down and the department's response time to violent crime is less than two minutes.
"The decision to arm yourself with a firearm is a very personal and private decision that should not be driven by fear that our officers will not respond to your calls for help," the department said.
Jeri Bonavia, executive director of Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, said she hears "over and over" from most law enforcement officials that the community should work to "take more guns off the streets, not add more."
"What (Clarke's) talking about is this amped up version of vigilantism," Bonavia said. "I don't know what his motivations are for doing this. But I do know what he's calling for is dangerous and irresponsible and he should be out there saying this is a mistake."
Asked about Clarke's assessment of 911, James Fendry, director of the Wisconsin Pro Gun Movement, said, "It's never been a great option (calling 911). Unless you can take care of yourself, you're kind of SOL."
Fendry, a former police officer, said that he tells citizens, "You're not armed to be law enforcement. You're armed to protect your own life and the lives of your family until law enforcement arrives. Do not go on search and destroy missions in your home."
County Executive Chris Abele said Clarke is sending the wrong message.
"I think it's irresponsible and it doesn't help public safety to tell the public there's some kind of imminent danger that they need to go buy guns," Abele said. "Essentially, you've got a (public service announcement) that's recommending people need to go buy guns because they can't rely on the response they'll get from 911. I'm here to tell you, we have phenomenal police departments."
Roy Felber, president of the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs' Association, said the ad sounded to him like a call to vigilantism.
"That doesn't sound smart," Felber said. "That's why society has police officers."
Instead of promoting vigilantism, Felber said, money should be found to hire more police officers and deputies.
County Supervisor Mark Borkowski, chairman of the County Board panel on public safety, said Clarke was "preaching to the choir" on gun ownership. Most people who want guns already have them, Borkowski said.
McLaughlin, Clarke's spokeswoman, said the announcement does not encourage gun ownership.
"His message says to consider taking a certified course. His message says to fight back to protect yourself. People need to decide for themselves if they want to own a firearm," she wrote in an email.
She said the Department of Homeland Security advises that in an active shooter environment, victims should run, hide, or, if those options don't exist, they should fight - aggressively.
Clarke did not respond to an interview request.
Asked to comment on Clarke's remarks, a spokeswoman for state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said that Van Hollen "believes strongly in both the 1st and 2nd amendments" to the Constitution on free speech and gun rights.
Mark Johnson of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.


Sheriff's radio ad says 911 not best option, urges residents to take firearms classes

I Need You in the Game’: Wis. Sheriff Tells Residents to Learn How to Use a Gun to Defend ThemselvesJan. 26, 2013 1:25pmMadeleine Morgenstern

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n this Oct. 11, 2012 file photo, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke talks during a budget hearing in Milwaukee, Wis. The Wisconsin sheriff said he released an ad calling on residents to defend themselves because the old model of having a citizen call 911 and wait for help isn’t always the best option. (AP)

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. has a message for residents: learn how to use a gun.
With budget cutbacks putting a strain on law enforcement, simply calling 911 might not cut it in a life-or-death or situation, Clarke said in a new radio ad this month. Safety is “no longer a spectator sport,” he says. “I need you in the game.”
“With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option,” Clark adds. “You can beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight back. But are you prepared?”
“Consider taking a certified safety course in handling a firearm so you can defend yourself until we get there. You have a duty to protect yourself and your family. We’re partners now. Can I count on you?” he asks.

The spot has quickly earned criticism, including from the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs’ Association and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs’ Association president Roy Felber told the Associated Press it sounds like a call to vigilantism, while Barrett’s spokeswoman said it sounded like Clarke was “auditioning for the next Dirty Harry movie.”

But Clarke told the AP he simply wants people to know what their options are in protecting themselves.
“I’m not telling you to `Hey, pick up a gun and blast away,’” he said. “People need to know what they are doing if they chose that method – to defend themselves.”
He said self-defense may not be for everyone, but that people who want to know how should be trained properly. After budget cuts forced him to lay off 48 deputies last year, he realized he had an “untapped reserve” — the public.
“People are responsible to play a role in their own safety, with the help of law enforcement,” Clarke said. “I’m here to do my part, but we have fewer and fewer resources. We’re not omnipresent, and we have to stop giving people that impression.”
James Fendry, director of the Wisconsin Pro Gun Movement, praised the ad, telling Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “It’s never been a great option (calling 911). Unless you can take care of yourself, you’re kind of SOL.”

‘I Need You in the Game’: Wis. Sheriff Tells Residents to Learn How to Use a Gun to Defend Themselves | TheBlaze.com