Senator Baldwin Delivers for Law Enforcement, Public Safety Leaders in Government Funding Bill

Oconto Fire Chief: “The significance of this funding cannot be overstated”

Winnebago County Sheriff: “[Baldwin’s] dedication to public safety and to our community locally is truly commendable”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, successfully secured resources for Wisconsin law enforcement, first responders, and community crime prevention efforts in the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2024 government funding package that the President signed into law.

“Wisconsinites deserve to be safe in their communities, and I am proud to bring home the resources our law enforcement and public safety leaders need to prevent crime, support victims, and protect our neighborhoods,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin. “Wisconsin’s public safety leaders are on the front lines protecting our friends, families, and neighbors, and it is critical they have the equipment and tools they need to do their job.”

“I want to express my gratitude to Senator Baldwin and her staff for their tireless efforts in securing congressionally directed spending dollars for the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office in order to fund and replace our end-of-life rescue airboats. Her dedication to public safety and to our community locally is truly commendable,” said Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz.

“The significance of this funding cannot be overstated. These new mobile radios will not only enhance communication between our departments and dispatch but will also enable both departments to establish stronger lines of communication with our mutual aid partners. In our rural setting, where every second counts during emergencies, efficient communication is paramount. The improved connectivity afforded by these radios will undoubtedly save lives and enhance the safety of our residents and responders. On behalf of the entire emergency response team in Oconto, Wisconsin, I want to express our sincere appreciation for your support and advocacy. Your dedication to addressing the needs of our community has not gone unnoticed. The fact that our project, which was in dire need of funding, was heard and approved by the Senate reflects your commitment to serving the people of Wisconsin,” said Oconto Fire Chief Josh Bostedt and Oconto Police Chief Kassie Dufek.

“We are honored by Senator Baldwin’s commitment to the lifesaving work of the Domestic Violence High Risk Team. In its seven-year history, DVHRT has saved thousands of lives through early and effective intervention in domestic violence cases at the highest risk for lethality. Sadly, there are more cases than resources currently available to address them. This funding will allow us to bolster the work of DVHRT and to bring safety to more families in harm’s way,” said Carmen Pitre, President & CEO, Sojourner Family Peace Center.

“We are very excited to hear that our request has been funded.  The project will make critical upgrades to our fire station to improve safety and allow us to meet the public safety needs of our community.  We are very grateful for the opportunity,” said Lancaster Fire Chief Steve Braun.

Supporting Wisconsin Law Enforcement

COPS Hiring Program: $256 million to provide funding directly to law enforcement agencies to hire additional career law enforcement officers to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. This funding will place over 2,000 more police officers on the streets of communities across the country.

Supporting State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement: $10 million to support officer mental health and wellness, $32 million for the purchase of body-worn cameras, $30 million for bulletproof vests, and $7 million to support the needs of rural law enforcement.

Community-Oriented Policing: $214.5 million for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office grant programs to support police-community relations.

Regional Information Sharing System: $44 million for the Regional Information Sharing System, which supports federal, state, and local law enforcement information sharing focusing on violent crime, terrorism, gang activity, and drug trafficking.

Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program: $924 million for Byrne JAG, the leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions.

Strengthening Crime Prevention Efforts

Violence Against Women Act Programs: $713 million for Violence Against Women Act programming, an increase in funding to support programs for victims of domestic violence, including training for police officers and prosecutors, state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, rape prevention programs, women’s shelters, and homicide reduction initiatives.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) – Youth Mentoring & State Formula Grants: $104 million for OJJDP Youth Mentoring programs, which funds mentoring services for young people who are at risk or high risk for delinquency, victimization, and juvenile justice system involvement.

STOP School Violence: $82 million in State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance funding and $53 million in Community Oriented Policing Services funding for programs funded through the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grants to states, local governments, and tribes to improve school safety and recognize, respond quickly to, and prevent acts of violence.

Delivering Direct Support to Wisconsin

Presidential Nominating Convention Security Grants: $150 million for law enforcement activities relating to the Presidential Nominating Conventions, $75 million of which will be allocated to the City of Milwaukee for the Republican National Committee convention in July 2024.

Door County: $3,900,000 for public safety radio system.

City of Waukesha: $1,000,000 for a computer aided dispatch and record management system for 911 Dispatch, Police, and Fire that will enhance the City’s ability to respond to emergencies in the community.

Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office: $990,000 for ice rescue boats needed for rescues of individuals in distress on the recreational lakes and waterways of Winnebago County.

City of Milwaukee: $963,000 to support the Milwaukee Police Department’s initiative to update its current radio system infrastructure, which is reaching the end of its manufacturer-supported lifecycle. The update will improve radio interoperability with surrounding cities and counties, which is critical to responding to crime and collaborating across southeastern Wisconsin.

County of Burnett: $950,000 for public safety radio system.

Sojourner Family Peace Center: $537,000 to support work of the Domestic Violence High Risk Team, a multidisciplinary team that includes advocates, Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, the State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections, and representatives from suburban law enforcement agencies to efficiently identify and staff domestic violence cases at the highest risk for lethality in order to make individualized recommendations to maximize the safety for survivors and accountability for offenders.

Portage County: $505,000 for security cameras to support digital data retention.

City of Oconto: $160,000 for mobile radios for the Police and Fire Rescue Department.

City of River Falls: $1,401,000 to renovate the Fire Station.

Village of Windsor: $500,000 for the DeForest Windsor Fire and EMS District.

City of Lancaster: $1,125,000 to renovate the Fire and EMS Station.

 

An online version of this release is available here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.