As the primaries for the 2022 gubernatorial election draw closer, candidates have begun rolling out their plans to improve public safety across the state.
Incumbent Gov. Tony Evers has suggested to increase state aid towards local governments. He argues that declines in shared revenue since 2014 are directly linked to the reported 15% decrease in the number of the state’s law enforcement officers. In his two budget proposals, Evers suggested increasing shared revenue for municipalities, although Republican legislators removed them from their submission; Evers has pledged to propose a shared revenue increase again if he is re-elected. He also floated using the state’s current budget surplus for municipal governments.
Additionally, Evers suggested using shared revenue to address the state’s backlog in jury trials by hiring more prosecutors and judges. He also supports increasing state funding for violence prevention programs and the usage of a pretrial detention model that is similar to the federal model.
Former Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch (R) has criticized Evers for his crime policies, calling for “a governor who is strong and decisive.” She wants to hire 1,000 more law enforcement officers by requiring municipalities to use funding from the state “to hire law enforcement officers.” Additionally, Kleefisch suggested the creation of a grant program that helps municipalities both recruit and retain officers.
Kleefisch also supports more stringent bail laws — such as the Legislature’s constitutional amendment — and the firing of Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. Chisholm has come under fire after the Waukesha Christmas parade attack, in which the perpetrator was released on bail in a Milwaukee County case just days prior.
However, like Evers, she expressed concerns with the backlog in jury trials. She said that Milwaukee officials should have used federal pandemic relief funding to address the issue.
Kevin Nicholson (R) also supports stronger bail and sentencing requirements, including “mandatory minimums for bail and for sentencing for violent charges and violent convictions.” He disagrees with the argument that stricter requirements would result in people being punished before they are proven guilty of a crime.
Nicholson also points to law enforcement officer recruitment and retainment as an issue for “effective policing.” He told The Cap Times that he is open to using the state’s budget surplus to address the issue, but would not commit to the proposal without more information on the state’s long-term finances. He stressed the need to ensure that officers feel that they have the backing of their communities so they take pride in their jobs, saying that “…no one joins law enforcement or the Marine Corps because this can be a great paycheck.”
