Rep. Darrin Madison Announces New Police Accountability Package, “Freedom From Fear”

MADISON – This morning, Representative Darrin Madison (D-10) joined colleagues in both chambers of the Capitol to announce new accountability measures for law enforcement in Wisconsin. The package is designed to prevent misuse of private data, a risk exacerbated by increased use of facial recognition and artificial intelligence technology by Milwaukee-area law enforcement, including the Milwaukee Police Department. It also prohibits the use of certain nonscientific and dangerous police training practices, among other protections.

The bill package includes:

• LRB-0040, a prohibition on police trainings that include content on “excited delirium,” a nonscientific, nonmedical term often used to justify police violence and other abuses of authority;
• LRB-0265, a prohibition on notoriously dangerous and ineffective “Warrior-style training” methods which have directly led to unnecessary injury and death, in favor of aikido training focused on self-defense, deescalation, and the disarming of threats;
• LRB-0354, requiring the decertification of law enforcement officials who violate basic regulations on uses of force, among other standards set by the Law Enforcement Standards Board;
• LRB-3376, a prohibition on use of facial recognition technology, a technology built on unregulated artificial intelligence already being used in Milwaukee County to share, sell, and potentially misuse people’s data.

Representative Madison (D-10) issued the following statement:

“In Milwaukee, throughout Wisconsin and this nation, we have struggled to build credible, effective police accountability, even as reckless driving and violence harm our communities far too often. We are already spending resources and time on ineffective solutions instead of investing in the infrastructure, education, and direct aid necessary to beat recklessness and violence at their sources.

In the absence of that investment, law enforcement budgets are going towards unlicensed, unregulated technology like facial recognition. Our public resources should never be spent on untested, unsecured surveillance methods, or on law enforcement trainings that are grounded in fear and intimidation. It’s our duty as elected officials and legislators to prevent these clear examples of government and police overreach, with the hope of redirecting our attention to our communities’ most urgent needs.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.