The state Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee has voted to fund investigators for Wisconsin’s new police-involved shooting law after Gov. Scott Walker left the money out of his budget.
The Legislature passed the law last session requiring an outside investigation when someone is killed by a police officer. The Department of Justice asked Gov. Walker to fund agents and analysts to implement the law. Walker’s budget gave the DOJ nothing.
By a unanimous vote Thursday, the Joint Finance Committee funded four full-time employees to investigate police-involved deaths. Committee Co-Chair John Nygren said it would help preserve the public trust.
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“Ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, officers are doing the right thing,” Nygren said. “But when there is a question in the public, I think we have a responsibility to do the investigation to ensure that the public can continue to have that trust in law enforcement.”
Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel praised the move, saying it’s critical that these investigations can be conducted quickly.
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