La Crosse PD’s Abraham talks Trump’s tweet on Chicago police

Trump threatened to “send in the Feds” in relation to shootings.

Police might not take kindly to having the feds sent in as President Donald Trump has suggested he would do in Chicago.

Trump sent out this tweet Tuesday morning

If Chicago doesn’t fix the horrible “carnage” going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2017

“If Chicago doesn’t fix the horrible “carnage” going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!”

La Crosse assistant police chief Rob Abraham talked to us from Quantico, Va., where he’s involved in training with federal agents. He says the local police’s first strategy would be best.

“In order to have what they call police legitimacy, you need to have that connection with your community,” Abraham said. “Your community needs to be willing to work with you and accept the things that you’re doing.”

Abraham says he has no problem with La Crosse police collaborating with various federal agencies.

“We have a local FBI office,” Abraham said. “They’re frequently in the La Crose police dept. We’re frequently exchaing information. They help us. We help them.

“But, there’s (a) relationship. Those guys have been here for awhile. They know our community. They live in our community.”

While in Virgina, Abraham says they’ve actually been talking about Trump’s tweet. 

“Certainly they do play a key role and can be key partners,” Abraham said of the feds, “but they certianly wouldn’t be able to step in for the Chicago police dept. in my opinion.

“If they brought in a dozen FBI agents and they were going to set up and take over the drug investigations in La Crosse, I just don’t know how successful that would be witout our input and us being there along the whole way.”