As I move about in the community, I am often stopped and thanked for the good work(s) our officers are doing, particularly in light of what people read from the various snippets of calls that are referenced on a daily basis in the blog. Long-time Madison constituents are amazed at some concerning trends above and beyond the much-heralded crimes involving guns; drug overdoses, domestic violence, evaluations (and oftentimes emergency detention transports) for mental illness incidents, child abuse and child sexual assaults are among recurring themes that show no signs of abatement.
Two comments are among the most common feedback that I receive from the daily posting of these calls. First, given the time and resources involved in an emergency detention evaluation and transport to Winnebago (Oshkosh), why doesn't the MPD subcontract with an outside entity to do the 5 hour round-trip? That way, we could save money and keep cops in their beats! Believe me, I have had the same thought(s) and bounced this off legal counsel from both the City as well as Dane County. Suffice to say, this is a statutory duty that cannot be vicariously assigned and so this is not an option. Folks may also recall that I received permission to sue the State of Wisconsin in trying to re-open the doors to our local neighbor at Mendota---and lost at both the circuit as well as appellate court level. So for the time being, unless there is some bold legislation that succeeds at the State level, MPD is going to have to continue to shoulder the load, exclusively, with respect to emergency detentions to Winnebago.
The other type of call that people ask about is our "missing/runaway" juvenile reports. In the grand scheme of things, many individuals have asked why this seemingly "benign" call cracks the starting line-up and competes with over 400 calls in an average twenty-four hour cycle? Beyond the obvious concerns of the family and friends for a child who is in the wind are the cautionary alerts from schools, social workers, victims-rights advocates and cops about the potential for a young person getting caught up in human trafficking. Subject matter experts advise that in looking at the "profile" of a human trafficking victim, chronic absenteeism from school and running away from home loom large as predictive indicators for susceptibility.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)--an agency MPD works with frequently and a tremendous resource for families--in 2016 there were 465,676 reports of missing juveniles in the United States. This does NOT include missing kids that have not been reported. NCMEC numbers (which includes cases from MPD) further discerns that there were approximately 18,500 of these missing juveniles deemed "endangered;" and that 1 in 6 are victims of sex trafficking. NCMEC maintains a cyber tip line which received a whopping 8.2 million reports last year which included information about vulnerable children being exploited in human trafficking as well as cybercrimes and internet crimes against children. So the magnitude of the problem is clearly staggering!
There are some larger agencies who have specialized units who have enough resources to follow-up on many of these cases. For example, the Dallas Police Department has a full-time Child Exploitation Unit that has been using missing juvenile reports with great success as a key means of identifying trafficking victims based upon the frequency of reports. MPD has to do "more with less" which means providing additional training to our detectives and police officers in asking probative questions and working collaboratively with agencies like Project Respect, Briar Patch Youth Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Madison Metropolitan School District, and a number of other smaller agencies including the faith-based community.
From 5:30 a.m. on 10/31/2017 through 5:30 a.m. on 11/01/2017, MPD received 403 calls for service. This number does not include parking complaints or 911 misdials.
1) WEST: Adult Arrested Person – 6:51 a.m. Officers responded to a gas station in the 5400 block of University Avenue for a report of a stolen vehicle. The vehicle was left in the parking lot unlocked with the keys inside. OnStar provided a location for the vehicle in Stoughton. Stoughton PD responded to the address and contacted a subject (19 year old AAM) who was observed leaving the residence and heading towards the stolen vehicle. A handgun was located on the subject. The subject/suspect was arrested for felon in possession of a firearm and receiving stolen property. The suspect refused to cooperate with the investigation. Investigation continuing.
2) SOUTH: Weapons Offense Shots Fired – 8:16 a.m. Officers responded to the 800 block of W. Olin Avenue where the caller (68 year old WM) reported finding a bullet strike to the wall of his residence. The bullet penetrated the wall and entered the caller's bedroom. The caller reported hearing a possible gunshot Sunday morning early but did not hear any other sounds of a disturbance. ** This is the second victim who has come forward reporting damage out of a shots fired call which originally occurred over the past weekend. Investigation continuing.
3) NORTH: Check Person – 9:05 a.m. Officers responded to Dwight Drive for a disturbance where a subject (27 year old AAM) was acting out by being aggressive, throwing bottles and threatening harm to others. The subject was placed under protective custody and transported to a local hospital for an evaluation. Journey Mental Health consulted. Investigation continuing.
4) NORTH: Death Investigation – 10:46 a.m. Officers responded to Darwin Road for a deceased subject (32 year old WM). Subject reportedly had a reported significant drug problem. Nothing suspicious on scene. Medical Examiner responded.
5) WEST: Check Person – 3:25 p.m. Officers responded to the 5000 block of University Avenue to check the welfare of a subject (27 year old WF) who disclosed a sexual assault. The subject was seen leaving the area with a male subject and it was reported that she was being held against her will. The female subject was contacted who denied any problems and advised officers that the situation was all a big misunderstanding. No charges were substantiated.
6) WEST: Child Abuse – 3:47 p.m. Officers responded along with Child Protective Services to Schroeder Road for a child abuse incident involving a 4 year old WF victim. The suspect (30 year old WF) is the child's mother and she admitted to striking the child's face as a form of discipline. The suspect was arrested for physical abuse to a child.
7) EAST: Disturbance – 3:47 p.m. Officer who was at the bus drop off area on Pflaum Road observed a fight take place between two subjects (17 year old WM and 15 year old AAM). Officer contacts the subjects and is surrounded by aggressive juveniles, prompting a call for back-up assistance. The two subjects were cited for disorderly conduct.
8) SOUTH: Domestic Disturbance – 7:27 p.m. Officers responded to Applegate Road for a disturbance between a married couple (48 year old AAF victim and 62 year old AAM suspect). The suspect tripped the female which caused her to fall and strike her face on the floor knocking out a tooth. The suspect was arrested for substantial battery and a parole hold.
9) EAST: Death Investigation – 8:41 p.m. Officers responded to east side residence for a deceased subject (49 year old AAF) who had multiple health issues. Nothing suspicious on scene. Medical Examiner responded.
10) WEST: Missing Juvenile/Runaway – 10:21 p.m. Officers responded to the 6700 block of Jacobs Way for a report of a missing juvenile (15 year old AAM). Attempt to locate aired. Juvenile listed as missing in the appropriate databases.