The Milwaukee Police Department will soon be enforcing a new city ordinance – $500 fines to people who don’t comply with Gov. Tony Evers’ safer-at-home order. Police Chief Alfonso Morales says officers will begin issuing citations next week, but instances will be rare, with fines typically being imposed as an addition to a more serious offense.
“In incidents where people are involved in a crime, we’re going to throw in another criminal charge. If it escalates to the level where they are not complying, we have a job to do,” Morales said Thursday.
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He says there have also been instances where businesses were reluctant to close or alter their operations in order to comply with the governor’s order. As a result, he says he's referred some establishments to the DA’s office.
“There was one particular restaurant where we took action at the end of last week and we have had some business checks as a result of that. We had over 300 business checks that were related to the pandemic,” Morales says.
He says a “small number” of police department employees have been infected with COVID-19. He declined to say which districts, not wanting to lead to an uptick in crime in those areas.
During this pandemic, WUWM's Bubbler Talk is focusing on the coronavirus and its impact on the Milwaukee area. If you have a question, submit it below.
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