Milwaukee Police, Northern Wisconsin Flooding, Best Albums Of 2016

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The Milwaukee Police Department has instructed all police districts to send out two-person squads — our guest tells us how two-person squads might change policing. We also look at the ongoing emergency response to flooding in northern Wisconsin where FEMA recently got involved. And from hip-hop and pop, to country and classical, 2016 has been a big year for new music. NPR’s music editor shares some of his picks for best albums of the year.

Featured in this Show

  • Milwaukee Police Department Instructs Officers To Patrol In 2-Person Squads

    Milwaukee police districts have been instructed to send officers out in two-person squads in the wake of a shooting that severely injured police Officer Brandon Baranowski on Sunday.

    Milwaukee Police Association President Mike Crivello welcomed the announcement, saying he’s called for the procedure since the first day that he took the post because it leads to better and safer police work.

    “For those officers that are riding together, it makes them effective, more efficient,” Crivello said.

    Most incidents require two officers to handle the scene, Crivello said. Solo officers who respond to a dispatch often begin the necessary police work, but they still have to wait for backup to arrive to complete the appropriate response.

    “So, there goes your efficiency,” Crivello said. “There goes your opportunity to be effective as far as answering that call as timely as you possibly can.”

    Officers who respond alone can put themselves and members of the community at danger, Crivello said.

    “It ultimately affords us an opportunity to minimize our use of force,” he said.

    Baranowski, a 13-year veteran on the force, was shot in the arm and chest while sitting in his squad car after responding to a domestic violence incident around 2 a.m. Sunday. Crivello said he’s confident that a second officer in the car would have made a difference by helping Baranowski stake out the environment.

    Relatively speaking, Baranowski was in good spirits before entering surgery Monday morning, Crivello said.

  • Milwaukee Police Department Sending Two-Person Squad Teams After Officer Shooting

    Following a shooting that severely injured Milwaukee police officer Brandon Baranowski on Sunday, Milwaukee police districts have been instructed to send officers out in two-person squads. We talk to the president of the Milwaukee Police Association union about how two-person squads will change the job for police officers.

  • Emergency Response To Northern Wisconsin Flooding Continues

    FEMA announced today that it will be doing a preliminary assessment in northern Wisconsin where Governor Scott Walker declared a state of emergency after severe flooding last week. The torrential rain has caused damage in eight northern Wisconsin counties as well as tribal lands of the Bad River and Red Cliff bands of the Lake Superior Chippewa Tribe. We talk to the secretary of the Department of Administration about the ongoing emergency response in the region.

  • The Best 30 Albums From 2016 So Far, According To NPR Music

    We listen to samples from the best 30 albums of 2016 so far with an editor from NPR Music. The list includes albums from Beyonce, David Bowie, Paul Simon, and more!

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Haleema Shah Producer
  • Amanda Magnus Producer
  • Mike Crivello Guest
  • Scott Neitzel Guest
  • Stephen Thompson Guest

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