Racine Mayor Cory Mason has ordered a review of the "cultural climate" of the city's police department. The development comes after a police union survey designed to measure morale among the rank and file came back with a number of "racially-charged and sexist comments," according to a news release from the mayor's office.
According to a group of 10 black and female officers who recently wrote a letter to Mason, 32 of the survey's respondents alleged that the chief--who is black--has demonstrated bias in favor of black officers, even though just four of the 37 members of the department who carry the rank of sergeant or above are either black or female, and those numbers include the chief himself.
Mason directed that the study be carried out within a month by the city attorney, and the city's human resources manager and affirmation action officer. "To be clear," Mason said in the release, "there is no place in city government for those who believe that their colleagues are incapable of performing and excelling at their duty to protect and serve the community simply because of their race or color."
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Racine---A man was apparently shot in the face in the area of Hamilton and Lasalle Friday morning at about 8:30, according to a news release from the police department. No one is in custody, and there's no word on the condition of the victim.
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Kenosha---A home invasion in the 6100 blk. of 24th Ave. just after midnight Friday left a 23 year-old man and a 17 year-old girl with gunshot wounds to their legs. According to a release from Kenosha Police, two men forced their way in and started shouting before firing shots. The man was struck in the leg while the girl sustained a gunshot wound to a knee. The assailants fled before police arrived.
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