Milwaukee City Wire

State Rep. David Bowen (D-WI) recently criticized a package of bills introduced by Wisconsin Republicans designed to increase police officer recruitment as an example of "false support."

According to a Fox News report, the bill, called "Supporting Law Enforcement," would cost $25 million and could be financed by federal ARPA funds.

“Let’s be clear here: there is bipartisan support here in Wisconsin for new policies that would help recruit and retain good police in our communities, both urban and rural," Bowen stated on Twitter.

The legislation includes measures aimed at educating students on how to interact with police, providing officers with signing bonuses and preserving no-knock warrants.

"I and many of my Democratic colleagues would be more than willing to sit down with our Republican counterparts and craft legislation that would help keep our communities safe," Bowen continued. "The ‘Supporting Law Enforcement’ package released today by Republican legislators is the clearest example of what false support looks like and is not the way to make new changes happen."

The number of police officers in Wisconsin has dropped to its lowest level in 10 years, with just 13,576 officers working in the state, according to a Wbay article.

“Only 766 people entered the profession in the last year. That’s the fewest number of law enforcement officers in at least the last 10 years,” State Rep. Jim Steineke (R-WI) told Wbay.

Additionally, Wisconsin recorded a 9% rise in crime, exceeding the national average of 5.2%/ Milwaukee also recorded a record number of homicides in 2021.

According to an article on Yahoo News, a survey conducted by the National Police Foundation in June revealed that 86% of police departments nationwide were experiencing staffing shortages.

These shortages are partially the result of increased retirements and fewer cadets following claims that police officers target and kill black people, which resulted in budget reductions for police departments.