To combat violent crime, we need to end the liberal catch-and-release policies that are turning violent offenders loose.

Hi, I’m State Senator Patrick Testin. As a legislator, I’ve worked with law enforcement – both on bills and on ride-alongs with officers. I’ve spent time with the State Patrol and several sheriff’s departments in the Central Wisconsin district I represent. Nothing that I’d seen though, prepared me for the day that I spent with the Milwaukee Police Department earlier this year.

That day, I saw the victim of a homicide – one of 192 people killed in Milwaukee this year. For me, that day stands out as one I’ll never forget. Unfortunately, it’s become all too common for our officers.

Last year in Milwaukee County, nearly twenty percent of those suspected of attempting or committing murder were out on bond for a separate felony. Even worse, some of these individuals purchased their freedom with only a signature or a few hundred dollars.

Some might say that’s just how the system works. I say it’s a system that doesn’t work.

That’s why my Republican colleagues and I have offered legislation that would make it harder for dangerous people to buy the opportunity to strike again. Everyone should feel safe in their community—and we’re working to make that a reality.