Contact: State Rep. Joe Sanfelippo
Madison, Wis. – State Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, R-New Berlin, and State Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Brookfield, introduced the Victim Prevention Package earlier this year to address violent repeat offenders continuing to harm communities throughout Wisconsin.
The Victim Prevention Package is aimed at keeping habitual criminals off the streets and includes 2017Assembly Bills 87 – 94 and Senate Bills 52 – 59. The State Senate passed Senate Bill 58 in June. Senate Bill 58 is designed to help combat carjacking. The Assembly has yet to pass the bill. The remainder of the bills included in the Sanfelippo-Vukmir Victim Prevention Package are available to be scheduled for a vote except for Assembly Bill 94, which still awaits a final vote in the in the Assembly Corrections Committee. The Senate version of Assembly Bill 94 passed the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety in May.
A recent news story showed two sixteen year old’s collide with a police vehicle while driving at a high speed in a stolen vehicle in Greenfield. According to the story, “One of the teens already had eight arrestsfor stealing cars.” Captain Sean Licht of the Greenfield Police Department said, “We as a department and I think departments throughout the area are getting frustrated with the juvenile crimes going on it seems it’s like a revolving door,” Licht said. “There’s a time to say enough is enough and more needs to be done with these kids.”
Also earlier this month, two pizza delivery drivers were killed at the same building on back to back nights in Milwaukee. After one of the shootings, the perpetrator walked into his cousin’s apartment and ate the pizza and wings he stole from the driver after just shooting him. I can’t even imagine what type of evil, morally depraved individual could sit there and eat pizza while the man he just shot laid bleeding to death just outside of the door.
Tomah had a major drug arrest this month. In Fond du Lac, where a 15 year old committed a carjackingjust this month, a Judge asked the City Council to be proactive and boost security at the courthouse because of recent incidents. Portage just had an armed robbery at a bank. Berlin, WI had a 19 year old steal a car recently and lead police on a chase which ended in a crash. Two suspects connected to a shooting in Oshkosh were recently charged. The list goes on and on.
Some in the legislature think cracking down on repeat offenders who commit violent acts of crime is too tough. Others think it is too expensive. They need to read this and remember that crime statistics are made up of two parties: offenders and victims. Legislators, District Attorneys, judges and others working within the criminal justice system have ignored crime victims far too long and our society is suffering as a result.
We must take immediate action to protect our citizens by passing the Victim Prevention Package of bills now.
