The Milwaukee Police Department takes center stage on this week’s This American Life. The episode "Cops See It Differently, Part One" is part of a two week series about policing.
There are so many cops who look at the killing of Eric Garner or Mike Brown and say race didn't play a factor. And there are tons of black people who say that's insane. There's a division between people who are distrustful of the police — even scared of them — and people who see cops as a force for good. In a two-part series, This American Life will tell the stories of people living on both sides of that divide, and people trying to bridge it.
The first story focuses on the Milwaukee Police Department, particularly its relationship with black residents under Chief Flynn. The story includes descriptions of particularly invasive stop-and-frisks conducted by an officer on an individual named Brandon Graham, examples of what some call illegal cavity searches. Since 2012, the MPD has dismissed four officers for being involved in illegal strip searches.
You can catch the episode of This American Life on WUWM on Sunday at 10:00 am and 9:00 pm as well as on Tuesday at 8:00 pm. Or, listen to the episode online.
