Concrete Street Paving Workers Open Carry Guns Near Phillis Wheatley Public School In Milwaukee

Concrete street paving workers open carry handguns, one is wearing a Poblocki Paving vest and another one is seen brandishing his handgun near public school.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. 

December 3, 2017

Milwaukee, WI - On Saturday, a photo posted on Facebook showing at least three street paving White workers, one wearing a Poblocki Paving vest with open carry handguns including one of the workers who can be seen holding his handgun out near the Phillis Wheatley Public School at N. 19th Street and W. Meinecke Ave. has been circulating on the social network. The photos were posted by Zuniga Jesse, Van L. Mayes, Earl Ingram Jr. and Tory Lowe, but no date was provided when the photo was actually taken and where it originated.

The City of Milwaukee contracts companies to do some street paving in the Northside where the predominantly African-American community resides and it is not clear, if city officials allowed the contracted workers to open carry while doing city work. In the State of Wisconsin, people can open carry legally, but state law prohibits handguns or firearms to be carry with 1,000 feet from school grounds and inside school property.

So, far city officials and Milwaukee police have not made released and comments about why the workers were open carrying and one worker had his handgun out near a public school while paving a city street.

Poblocki Paving posted the following statement in their Facebook account, "They are not wearing Poblocki Paving Uniforms. One happens to have on a vest that has our name on it  None of our employees are allowed to wear bluejeans and all are required to wear vests anytime they are working. These are not our guys." 

The unanswered questions remain, who were they, who authorized them to wear Poblocki Paving vests, why did one of them take his gun out, was he facing a life threat, did City of Milwaukee officials know when contracted these workers that they would carrying firearms on the job and would the City be liable, if a shooting occurs, does OSHA allow workers to wear handguns while working in these type of jobs as a safety measure and do they open carry in none African-American neigborhoods?
According to the City of Milwaukee firearms and dangerous weapons policy revised date February 27, 2012, it has zero tolerance for firearms in the work place, which firearms are prohibited and applies to all general workers and contractors.