Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Captain Pixley Becomes First Woman To Head Police District Two Station In Milwaukee's South Side

Captain Rebecca L. Pixley

Photo: HNG

Personal contact between officers and community residents is vital for helping to prevent and reduce crime in the South side, according to Captain Rebecca L. Pixley.

By H. Nelson Goodson
October 5, 2011

Milwaukee - On Tuesday, 8th District Alderman Robert "Bob" Donovan held a district meeting with members of the community at the Walker Campus, 3100 block of W. Mitchell St. to introduce newly appointed Captain of Police Rebecca L. Pixley. Captain Pixley is the first woman to head Milwaukee's Police District 2 Station in the South side.
With Captain Pixley's appointment to the second district, she has accomplished to work on all six police district stations. Pixley has been a supervisor for 15 years out of 22 years with the department.
Current South side issues involve drug houses, gangs, prostitution, shootings, garage break-ins, graffiti and nuisance properties, according to Alderman Donovan. Residents at the meeting wanted more police on the street, but Donovan explained, the city is facing a lack of funds. He confirmed, 200 vacant police positions were available and 100 of those positions were eliminated citywide in the last budget by a stroke of a pen, leaving only 150 positions to fill.
Captain Pixley's approach for policing is quite different and innovative than prior second district commanders. Pixley strongly believes that district officers and residents should get to know each other in order to help prevent and reduce crime in the area.
Captain Pixley assured residents that she will continue to bring her entourage of officers and rank and file command from the second district to public gatherings dealing with crime safety meetings. At the meeting on Tuesday, she took charge and spoke to residents, heard their concerns, talked about crime prevention and how residents can actually contact second district officers and report suspected crime activity.
Another change within the second district, Captain Pixley has enjoined the Community Prosecution Unit (CPU), Anti Gang Unit (AGU), the Bicycle Patrol Unit and the Community Liaison Officer to work with each other and share information. Prior district commanders had each unit working separately from each other. The AGU is supervised by a sergeant.
The second district also has a city attorney, a Milwaukee County assistant district attorney, a Domestic Violence Advocate and a Probation and Parole agent at the police station. All six police district stations in Milwaukee have CPU teams, but Pixley worked directly with the CPU at district 5, which most likely become a model to follow at district 2.
Pixley while working as a Lieutenant at district 5, she was instrumental in making the CPU project a success by having them work collectively with other units in the district. She is currently applying the same concept at the second district.
In the South side, the CPU team is based out of the second district and deal with nuisance properties, land lords and complaints about drug houses.
Community Liaison Officer Jesus Gloria will get a partner, according to Captain Pixley. Officer Gloria, who is fluent in both English and Spanish has organized Community Block Watch programs in the neighborhood. Gloria and other officers along with community volunteers and released inmates from the Probation and Parole assigned to do community service work have removed graffiti and tagging in the area. The supervised inmates work four hours under the Operation Payback project.
Officer Gloria reported that last week, volunteers and supervised inmates had removed graffiti or tagging from 75 properties and this week from 64 properties, including tagging from the lower level of the Pabs Avenue Bridge at the 3200 block of W. Forest Home Ave.

Pabs Avenue Bridge hit by taggers at the 3200 block of W. Forest Home Ave.

Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Police District 2

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