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As I See It

La Crosse County should look elsewhere as it considers police reform

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It seems everyone has taken a side. Either Back the Badge, or Black Lives Matter. But certainly it must be possible to support police as they protect and serve our communities, but also work to ensure everyone is treated equally under the law. That essentially will be the task of the new La Crosse County committee being created to oversee local police. Trying to ensure police officers have the tools to do their jobs, but also holding accountable those who abuse their position of power. One way to do that may be something that is starting to happen in other communities where police don’t have to respond to every emergency call. Milwaukee is the latest community to look into whether someone other than an armed officer is the best to respond to reports of someone in mental crisis. They have appointed a task force to see what other cities are doing and to decide what types of calls would best be served by some sort of unarmed first responders. La Crosse county’s new committee should keep an eye on what is working in other communities to keep them safe. That could provide a blueprint for this local effort as they work to determine what sorts of changes may be needed.

Scott Robert Shaw serves as WIZM Program Director and News Director, and delivers the morning news on WKTY, Z-93 and 95.7 The Rock. Scott has been at Mid-West Family La Crosse since 1989, and authors Wisconsin's only daily radio editorial, "As I See It" heard on WIZM each weekday morning and afternoon.

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