Racine police chief dissolves drug unit, forms Violent Crimes and Intelligence Unit

 

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Racine police are quietly dissolving their drug unit. The decision's not sitting well with families who've lost a loved one to the growing problem of fentanyl poisoning.

The police chief says the drug unit was down to just one officer who's now been reassigned, and he wants to focus on gun crimes.

The families of fentanyl poisoning victims tell us even one less officer on drug crimes is a big loss to their hearts. 

This is Charles Besler, who overdosed in Racine. Loved ones say he left too soon.

"Guys have died over here by the YMCA, guys that I knew, they passed away just a few weeks ago," said a man who didn't want to give his name.

The man tells us he's homeless, and while he's seen drug issues on the streets of Racine, gun issues have been a bigger struggle. 

"Oh yeah. Been around, I had to duck down a couple times. So, it's getting worse and worse each day."

The shootings are what Racine Police Chief Maurice Robinson wants to get a handle on.

"Nobody's throwing baggies of fentanyl through car windows and through house windows. Those are bullets flying, not bags of dope," said Chief Robinson.

A personnel memo hit the department over the weekend, officially declaring an end to Racine's drug unit.

"With input from my senior command staff, I conducted a reorganization of what was formerly known as the Special Investigations Unit, and it's been re-titled Violent Crimes and Intelligence Unit. I dissolved the drug unit that had one member, one member is not a unit," said Chief Robinson.

But some residents think police should spend equal time on both guns and drugs.

"No, they should be looking at both of the problems, you know. They have to do a combination of both of them," said Carol, who didn't want to give her last name.

"Most importantly, it's disappointing that someone decided to take a personnel order and display that publicly without the underlying information as to why, and causing undue and unnecessary fears in the city, saying that we disengaged in drug investigations. This is 100% categorically inaccurate," said Chief Robinson.

Others in the community think the chief's doing the right thing.

"I think he's doing the right thing. Obviously he's probably crunching some analytical data to put himself in a good position," said David Maney of Racine.

"People carry guns on them and other people get hurt. Like in the streets, like by accident, somebody could get shot because of a gun," said 13-year-old Aniyah Dear.

It hits home for Aniyah Dear and her mom, who tell us their friend was shot 21 times last year. 

"I felt bad for him, because, you know, nobody should ever have to go through something like that," said Dear.

The chief tells us the reorganization of the department has nothing to do with budget or staffing issues.

In fact, he expects to send 15 new officers to the police academy in August, and the department will continue to investigate drug crimes when they're linked to a gun crime.