Here & Now

Too Many Candles: A Documentary On Milwaukee Gun Violence

FINALLY TONIGHT, AS SHOOTINGS UNFORTUNATELY CONTINUE TO MAKE NEWS IN MILWAUKEE THIS WEEK, WE WANT TO REMIND YOU OF A PROJECT WE’VE JUST COMPLETED AND WILL AIR MONDAY NIGHT. IT’S A CLOSER LOOK WITH A DOCUMENTARY TITLED “TOO MANY CANDLES: MILWAUKEE GUN VIOLENCE.” TONIGHT AN EXCERPT FROM THAT PROGRAM.

[SIRENS WAILING]

POLICE OFFICER:

HE’S GOING. HE’S GOING.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

IT’S CALLED THE POWER SHIFT. MILWAUKEE POLICE OFFICERS WORKING A SATURDAY NIGHT, RESPONDING TO SHOTS FIRED CALLS ALL NIGHT LONG.

POLICE OFFICER:

YOU GOT NO GUNS IN THERE? JUST OPEN THE DOOR. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GOT NO WEAPONS ON YOU.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THE CALLS COME IN FROM CENTRAL DISPATCH OVER A GUNSHOT DETECTION SYSTEM CALLED SHOT SPOTTER.

POLICE OFFICER:

THESE ARE ALL THE SHOT SPOTTERS FOR TODAY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THE NUMBER OF GUNSHOTS FIRED AND EXACT ADDRESS GO DIRECTLY TO SQUAD CAR COMPUTERS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

OUR USE OF IT IS BASICALLY IMMEDIATE. SHOT SPOTTER GOES OFF, WE GO INTO IT.

POLICE OFFICER:

SOMEBODY’S IN THERE.

POLICE OFFICER:

YOU DON’T MIND IF WE LOOK THROUGH YOUR CAR?

POLICE OFFICER:

OVER HERE.

POLICE OFFICER:

WE’RE JUST LOOKING FOR GUNS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SHOT SPOTTERS DETECTED 28,311 GUNSHOTS FIRED IN MILWAUKEE LAST YEAR. MOST OF THEM NOT REPORTED BY RESIDENTS.

POLICE OFFICER:

GUNSHOTS OUT HERE?

POLICE OFFICER:

HEARING GUNSHOTS OUT HERE? NO.

WOMAN:

NO.

POLICE OFFICER:

GOT A SHOT SPOTTER WITH TEN BLOCKS SAY ON THIS BLOCK. THIS IS A VERY WELL POPULATED AREA. AND YOU DON’T GET ONE SINGLE CALL. AND SAY IT ENDS UP IN A SHOOTING AND WE GO KNOCK ON THE DOORS, DOING A CANVASS, TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. AND THE PEOPLE GO, YEAH, I HEARD THE SHOTS. WHY DIDN’T YOU CALL? WELL, THEY’RE ALWAYS SHOOTING ON THIS BLOCK.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

GUNFIRE SERVING AS BACKGROUND NOISE LEAVING POLICE TO RELY ON TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO GET INVOLVED.

MALCOLM HUNT:

WE DON’T SPEAK UP. WE ARE ENCOURAGING, MORE OR LESS WE ARE PROMOTING IT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

RETIRED MILWAUKEE POLICE OFFICER AND CURRENT CHURCH ELDER MALCOLM HUNT SAYS HE BELIEVES PEOPLE DON’T SPEAK UP BECAUSE THEY’RE EITHER AFRAID OF POLICE OR AFRAID OF THE CRIMINALS OR BOTH. GUNFIRE IN THIS CITY CAUSED MOST OF THE 145 HOMICIDES IN 2015. THAT NUMBER REPRESENTS A 69% INCREASE IN HOMICIDES FROM THE YEAR BEFORE. ANOTHER 635 PEOPLE IN MILWAUKEE WERE SHOT AND WOUNDED.

MALLORY O'BRIEN:

THAT SAYS WE’RE IN PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AN EXCERPT FROM THE NEW DOCUMENTARY “TOO MANY CANDLES: MILWAUKEE GUN VIOLENCE.” YOU CAN SEE THE ONE-HOUR DOCUMENTARY IN ITS ENTIRETY, MONDAY NIGHT, MAY 9 AT 7:00. THE PROGRAM KICKS OFF TWO NIGHTS OF PBS PROGRAMMING ON THE TOPIC OF GUNS IN AMERICA.