"There is frustration:" Questions, but few answers over MPD video recording system failure

MADISON (WITI) -- A legitimate investigation -- or a stage for politics to play out? Sparks flew Wednesday, May 20th during a fact-finding hearing to dig into the crash of the Milwaukee Police Department's video recording system through which interviews with suspects are recorded.

"We did invite Mayor Tom Barrett, Chief Ed Flynn, Sheriff David Clarke and District Attorney John Chisholm," said State Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine).

At this invitation-only event, none of the listed showed up.

At issue -- the crash of the MediaSolv system that stores data and video interviews for Milwaukee police investigators. Seven cases are affected at this point and specialists are working to retrieve missing data. So should the state even be involved?

"I'm trying to figure out why we're even having this hearing in the first place. There's no legislation pending," said State Rep. Fred Kessler (D-Milwaukee).

"We have informational hearings all the time without having legislation in front of us. This will determine whether we will have legislation. Maybe not, but we're going to get to the bottom of why this happened," said Wanggaard.

The only one who did show -- Milwaukee Police Association President Mike Crivello.

"There is frustration out there," said Crivello.

Everyone ended up staying for the one-hour meeting.

As to why other Milwaukee officials did not show -- Mayor Barrett's office says he had a conflicting meeting to talk about ways to reduce teen crime. Sheriff Clarke is in Washington, D.C. The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office had a phone meeting with lawmakers. FOX6 News spoke with Chief Flynn, who calls the controversy over the crash of the video recording system a phony issue -- nothing but politics and a political game that he will not respond to.