WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Governor Tony Evers toured the state on Tuesday to announce a $50 million investment in local police and criminal justice systems.
“It goes beyond just the police, it’s the entire system,” said Evers. “[A system] that deals with people that are struggling, breaking the law. That whole system- whether it’s prosecutors or the people that defend those folks or mental health services- they all work together and area all part of that system.”
Wausau and Marathon County will receive about $270,000 from the fund, which comes from federal dollars. Other local police departments will see between $7,000 and $15,000. For the complete list, click here.
Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg said her city’s allotment of the funds will likely go towards training, bonuses, and other recruitment tools. She also welcomes the additional funding for District Attorney’s offices statewide, which were feeling the financial squeeze even before COVID-19 hit.
“I’m glad to see these necessary investments in the entire system including funding that will go towards eliminating the backlog of criminal cases [that came out of the pandemic,]” said Rosenberg. “As a former Marathon County Board member I know firsthand the kind of decisions we had to make when it came to supporting our DA’s office.”
The funding comes out of the American Rescue Plan. The plan also includes $1 million for the state’s technical college systems to support part-time police academy programs.
In addition to the announcement in Wausau Evers and Kaul held press events in Milwaukee and Green Bay.
