Author: Wisconsin Public Radio

The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating an alleged assault of two photographers documenting protests on July 5 by an off-duty Milwaukee officer. One of the photographers, LaTasha Lux, declined to be interviewed but in a series of Facebook posts said she was confronted by the officer and his female companion outside a bar at State Street and North Old World Third Street. “What I do is I take pictures, so I took pictures, and the guy in that group did not appreciate that, and after taking a swipe after one other photographer and breaking the lens on his camera,...

Local government spending on law enforcement in Wisconsin has, when adjusted for inflation, increased by about 60 percent since 1986, according to a report from a public policy think tank. The report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum reviewed decades of government budget data released by the state Department of Revenue. It found Wisconsin cities’ and towns’ spending on law enforcement has risen faster than inflation and is taking up an increasingly large share of their budgets. The analysis comes as protesters and activists across Wisconsin are calling for cuts to government spending on police departments amid a national conversation...

Governor Tony Evers and Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes announced a package of nine bills on June 19 targeting accountability and transparency among police in Wisconsin. The legislative package includes proposals that bar the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants, as well as require annual training on de-escalation techniques. The package also includes bills that would establish statewide standards on use of force and require potential officer candidates to allow their previous employer to disclose their work history. State Representative David Bowen, a member of the Legislature’s Black Legislative Caucus, said they have requested the governor call a special session...