In memory of Corey Ruiz

Dear neighbors,

I have been struggling to figure out what to say. 

No words can bring back Corey Ruiz. 

No words can ease the grief of his family and friends. 

The pain and anger in our community is palpable. We are hurting. I am hurting.

What I fear most, though, is the narrative that nothing has changed will take hold. Because many things have changed. 

I looked back at the calls that came in the night Tony Robinson was killed. And I couldn't help but wonder if we'd had the CARES team back then, whether they would have responded, rather than police, and there would have been a very different outcome. The CARES team has responded to over 8,500 calls since its inception in 2024 - nearly 400 calls per month now - with only 2% of those calls needing police assistance. The CARES team is part of the reason the City of Madison has not increased the number of sworn police officers in spite of a rising population; we are purposely deflecting calls that previously were handled by police.

Calls for a transparent and thorough investigation of what happened to Corey are now unnecessary, due to the state law sponsored by about-to-be-inducted Supreme Court Justice Chris Taylor when she was in the legislature: All deaths that result from action or omission by law enforcement must be investigated by an outside agency, typically the Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). 

We have a new police chief, who, in my opinion, is one of the most incredible human beings on the planet. Chief Patterson's announcement that the DCI investigation will be treated as a homicide is a substantive departure from past standards. 

And, through the action of countless community advocates over several years, we have the Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM). While that office has had its ups and downs, it is nonetheless in place and functioning here and now. The DCI investigation will certainly focus on what happened before, during, and after Corey's shooting, but the OIM will have the opportunity to investigate the training our officers receive in de-escalation, how frequently they receive that training, and how they are evaluated. Whenever a weapon is involved in a police interaction, that automatically escalates the situation, but the OIM will also be able to investigate whether officers are trained to differentiate their responses depending on the weapons they encounter. These types of investigations have the potential to give us more clarity on how we advocate for changes in state and federal training standards, to ensure those sworn to protect and serve are truly enabled to do so.

Obviously, these changes weren't enough to prevent this tragedy. But they may have already prevented others. That's the thing about prevention - its silence belies its power. 

It is also critical we keep investing in community supports that build people up. If reports that Corey was unhoused and engaged with drug use are correct, we have to recognize that we, as a society, failed him. We have a long way to go in investing in programs that help people rise from poverty, substance use disorder, and mental health challenges. While the County is the primary funder of programs in these areas, there is an opportunity to have closer coordination between the City and County to ensure these programs are truly meeting community needs.

There is no doubt conversations will continue to focus on what we can collectively do to improve our community. As long as these conversations are positive, I'm certain we'll continue to make progress.

In solidarity,

Regina Vidaver