MILWAUKEE – In response to the news that Governor Tony Evers will be investing an additional $2.2 million in violence prevention and community safety efforts in Milwaukee, State Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee) released the following statement:
“I commend Gov. Evers for once again doing the right thing for our communities by announcing an additional $2.2 million in public safety investments in the City of Milwaukee. The Governor has once again clearly proven that he is in touch with the needs of the people of Wisconsin, and our shared constituents in Milwaukee. It is no secret that our state’s largest city has been grappling with a spike in crime since the beginning of the pandemic, as have other communities across the state & nation, but under Gov. Evers’ leadership we know that he will do everything he can to keep our communities safe.”
The $2.2 million investment announced earlier today will go towards violence prevention efforts, infrastructure investments that will help the city better manage pedestrian and vehicle traffic on weekends and during major events, and towards helping the Milwaukee Police Department hire civilian contractors to handle technology and processing needs, allowing the MPD to better allocate personnel resources. Additionally, some of the funding will go towards officer overtime costs and needed equipment.
“I am proud to have helped lead conversations on violence prevention and public safety issues throughout my tenure in the State Capitol, and to have been a consistent partner with Gov. Evers on these critically important topics. Those of us who have been working on these issues for as long as I have know that community safety is a nuanced issue with many components, and we Wisconsinites are blessed to have a Governor who understands that.
Once again, thank you Gov. Evers for using your powers to help take care of our community members and keep our communities safe. I hope that the Legislature follows Gov. Evers’ lead and works with him next Session to make these changes permanent using our state’s historic budget surplus dollars!”
