County to remove restraints
Handcuff bench was installed in public aid office
Milwaukee County is removing a bench with handcuffs from its public assistance office, nixing a restraint that its private security firm had wanted for disruptive visitors to the county building.
A holding room was designated in the Marcia P. Coggs building, 1220 W. Vliet St., and the handcuff bench was installed there this month after complaints about fights at the office from state employees who work there.
Melissa Baldauff, a spokeswoman for County Executive Chris Abele, said county officials knew about the room but that Abele’s office didn’t know about the handcuff bench until a Journal Sentinel reporter asked about it. The private security firm hadn’t yet used the bench and won’t ever do so now, she said.
“This bench was installed at the request of our security contractor. Once our office learned about it, we consulted with risk management and law enforcement officials to determine whether it was a necessary tool for keeping the public safe. We always put the safety of the public and our workers first, but this tool has not been deemed essential for public safety,” Baldauff said.
The part of the Coggs building in question houses state workers who determine whether Milwaukee County residents are eligible for food stamp and BadgerCare health benefits. The building also has private security guards from Allied Universal Security Services who are under contract with the county.
Sherrie Tussler, executive director of the Hunger Task Force, was pleased to hear that the bench is being removed, saying that, when mixed with private security, the isolation room and restraints made for a bad message.
“I have never in my life seen a jail in a welfare office,” she said.
The bench was installed after a series of fights between visitors broke out at the Coggs building — videos of some of them have been posted online — and state officials asked for guards specifically trained to handle such situations. The bench was supposed to be used to restrain rowdy visitors until police could arrive.
“There were some pretty significant fights there that had us pretty concerned so we asked them to enhance security,” state Department of Health Services spokeswoman Julie Lund said, noting that the visitors to the building include many children who could end up witnessing fights.
Sen.-elect LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee), a former worker at a private nonprofit doing welfare work, said she can understand the safety concerns of social service employees dealing with clients who struggle with poverty, mental illness and substance abuse.
But if there are serious concerns the county could pay to have a sheriff’s deputy on hand who is trained to deal with tough situations, she said. Having private security guards restraining public aid applicants could lead to lawsuits, she said.
“That bench would concern me because what type of liability would that have for the county?” she said. “It just opens up a whole lot of questions, especially if the county executive didn’t know about the bench.”