Mayor Barrett: "We're going to look at our police pursuit policy and that's something we should always do."

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is in Boston attending the U.S. Conferences of Mayors. The four-day, annual event wraps up Monday.

About 250 mayors made the trip to share ideas and talk about issues important to them. Barrett talked with CBS 58 Morning News anchors Jessica Tighe and Mike Curkov LIVE from Boston during Monday morning's newscast. 

“Public safety is a major concern of mine,” Barrett said. “I had some great sessions yesterday talking about public safety.”

Milwaukee’s police pursuit policy is one of the public safety issues being discussed in the community right now. At a press conference last week addressing the death of Milwaukee Police Officer Charles Irvine Jr., Police Chief Alfonso Morales became emotional when asked about the pursuit policy. Mayor Barrett says he believes Morales’ response is understandable.

“I thought the Chief did a very good job,” Barrett said. “Obviously, it’s a very emotional time for him and an emotional time for the police department, it’s an emotional time for me and the entire city. And he was correct, that press conference occurred less than 20 hours after Officer Irvine’s death and to bring up politics at that time was just not appropriate. There is going to be a time, there is going to be a place where of course we’re going to look at our pursuit policy and that’s something we should always do and we’re going to continue to do that.”