Do politics matter when you need someone wearing a badge?
Much has been said about how Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke has been allocating his resources lately, especially after what went down last week during a visit by President Obama. Clarke, no shrinking violet himself, vigorously defended his decision to commit fewer deputies to the Obama motorcade than he has in the past, citing budget cuts forced on him by the Board of Supervisors. Others, including County Board Chairman Lee Holloway, called Clarke out.
A 22 year old guy probably didn't have such things on his mind as he stood on the edge of the Hoan Bridge Sunday afternoon. Instead, he was pondering the big sleep.
A Sheriff's Department crew that handles such things was dispatched, and Deputy Steven Schmitt got the task of literally talking the guy off the ledge. He and his crew did so without incident, leading the man to safety so he could be taken to a hospital, where he will hopefully sort out his issues.
That man on the brink wasn't thinking about whose budgetary ox got gored, or whether the Sheriff tilts right or left. He wasn't thinking about anyone's manhood or commitment, wasn't chuckling over who got off the best line during the course of a political game being played out in the pages of the local papers or on talk-show airwaves.
A man with troubles needed help No one cared about politics, budgets, motorcades or blocked freeway ramps. A job needed to be done.
And help was there.
Sheriff Clarke is good copy, as we say in our game. Need a saucy quote, either about his department or something else chapping the County's top lawman and Clarke is MONEY. He's the face of his department.
So is Steven Schmitt. Not because he gets off a witty retort, a snarky blast, or a rapier response. His best lines are kept between himself and troubled souls who feel they have no other recourse, sentences said where no one else can hear them. Schmitt's done his job without fanfare for more than 20 years, and in that time it's safe to say none of the desperate people he's saved chatted him up on presidential protection protocols or political leanings, or thought less of him because a politician dissed his boss.
They're just glad there's a resource like Schmitt to allocate.
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Email: gmueller@jrn.com
Twitter: @genemueller
Phone: 414-967-5322
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gerrygren - Feb 21, 2012 9:20 AM
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