Dodge Co. Sheriff Nehls weighs in on Sheriff Clarke's PSA
DODGE CO. (WITI) -- Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls on Monday, January 28th shared his opinion on the public service announcement released by Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke.
In the PSA, Sheriff Clarke says, “With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option. You could 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.”
CLICK HERE to listen to the PSA
On Monday, January 28th, Sheriff Nehls released the following statement in reaction to Sheriff Clarke's PSA:
"The Milwaukee County Sheriff Dave Clarke took to the airwaves and told his electorate that calling 911 is not the best option as his ability to respond and protect them from violence has been diminished for a variety of political reasons. His public service announcement did not stay within the confines of Milwaukee County, it has impacted us here in Dodge County. I have received calls and emails asking me to support Sheriff Clarke and his PSA. I respectfully told those I can not for a variety of reasons so I feel I must explain.
First and foremost I have the complete faith and confidence in the E911 system and strongly encourage those in need of an emergency response to make that call first. This will provide us critical information and most importantly your location. The call is also recorded so your conversation and background noise is of great evidentiary value. I also have the utmost faith and confidence in my employees and the law enforcement professionals employed by the 21 local police departments. Should you reside in the rural area, your response is not hampered by the distance from the closest deputy; we regularly mutual aid our municipal offices into the county so you will see the closest law enforcement professional respond to your call for service. Granted, we will not be around the corner and your actions while you await a response are critical. Anything you can do to delay or deter the criminal is important.
You may be asking yourself, what does Sheriff Todd Nehls know he, is in quiet, rural Dodge County? Well, let me share a few facts published by the Office of Justice Assistance which provide a stark comparison between the Dodge and Milwaukee County Sheriffs Department. In 2009 – 2010, Sheriff Clarke’s department handled 17 violent crimes, Dodge 59. Neither of us reported a murder. Dodge had ten rapes while they had one. Dodge County reported 46 aggravated assaults, Milwaukee Sheriff four.
In the area of property crimes, Milwaukee County Sheriff reported 40 while we responded to 476. Burglaries, the most common of property offenses; we reported 144, Sheriff Clarke 40. My point here is to take advice from those who are ”in the game”. I have nothing personal against Sheriff Clarke, but I do have faith in our system and the way we respond. At least the statistics reflect we have much more experience.
I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and your decision to arm yourself and protect yourself, your family, and your property is your right. But please, prior to exercising that right, if you can, without exposing yourself to harm or danger, call 911 and seek shelter until law enforcement arrives. If you can’t, exercise your rights the Constitution provides, take the action necessary to protect those you love."
Sheriff Nehls said he got emails and phone calls from people wondering why he is not supporting Sheriff Clarke's message.
"I think it's striking fear in some people. I'm not supporting the message. We are very proud in Dodge County of our 911 center and I encourage and strongly, strongly recommend that the first thing you do if you're going to be a victim of crime or you anticipate being a victim of crime or see a crime, dial 911," Sheriff Nehls said.
Sheriff Nehls also takes issue with the PSA's claim that laid off and furloughed officers are the reason for the delayed response.
"We do the job with what we have. I get this amount of resources. I have my responsibility. As a leader and as a law enforcement professional, my obligation is to take care of the business with the resources I have. I'm not going to gravel about it on TV," Sheriff Nehls said.
Sheriff Nehls does agree that individuals should protect themselves and their homes and families, but says much more advice should be given before emphasizing picking up a firearm.
"I think there's some intermittent steps that we missed: locked doors, home security systems, home alarm systems, exterior lighting -- all those things you can do as a parent, as an individual, as an adult to help deter and delay an intruder," Sheriff Nehls said.
In 2009 and 2010, Dodge County had three times more violent crimes than Milwaukee County.