Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. said in a public service ad released Friday that people should think about getting a gun because the court system is putting criminals back on the street.
“Violent crime went up nearly 10 percent in Milwaukee,” Clarke said in the ad, posted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Are you the next victim? You don’t have to be, but that’s your call. Armed criminals are being put back on the street by a soft on crime courts system even before the ink dries on police reports. Are you prepared to handle a life or death threat? Wisconsin’s Personal Protection Act now gives you the same advantage that I have. Now it’s the crook who has to wonder what you might do. It can be a great equalizer, but you always have to think survival. Remember, it’s you and me now.”
A spokesman for the sheriff told the Journal Sentinel that the ad has started to air on two AM radio stations.
Listen to the ad here.