Amid the discordant political backdrop, recriminations abound about whether the murder of a 21-year-old UW-Madison woman could have been prevented.

Aside from proposed audits and spirited defenses of the Dane County 911 Communications Center and other Dane County officials, it's worth noting the priorities and policies of local law enforcement agencies here. [I hope not to read the word 'leadership' again; it doesn't exist on this matter.]

As the routine break-up of house parties and the pursuit by police of other frequent illegal college recreational pastimes continues apace here, one wonders if police officers foot-patrolling neighborhoods at night with the objective of protecting property and persons might be a better use of limited police resources vis-a-vis busting a 19-year-old for having a beer or smoking a joint on campus.

And one less parking meter boy (like that pathetic guy who wears the floppy safari hat), and one more officer walking on the street looking out for a female student walking home at night from the library would certainly do.

The culture of skepticism of callers' intent that pervades the 911 call center, '(s)hort-staffed almost always' (Isthmus), ought to draw the attention of the proposed audit, as well.

The imperatives of judgment, discretion, and priorities in public safety become clearer when tragedy strikes.

Local Media for Coverage of Brittany Zimmermann Fall-out

- Isthmus

- Uppity Wisconsin

- Dane County 101

- Capital Times

- Wisconsin State Journal

County/City Resources

- Madison Common Council: Alders

- Board of Supervisors - Dane County, Wisconsin

- Dane County 911 Communications Center

- Madison Police Department

- Dane County Executive