FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Josh Kaul continues to dodge media inquiries regarding the number of Division of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Agents within the Department Justice (DOJ), while the DCI head has stated there are just 88 of 113 positions filled.
A full accounting of DCI agent and prosecutor staffing levels could easily be released by Kaul to answer the questions of these unfilled positions.
Kaul was asked about the number of DCI Agents in two interviews that aired Sunday on WKOW and on Channel3000. In both interviews, Kaul refused to disclose a specific number of agents in DCI or refute that 25 positions have been left unfilled as Milwaukee is experiencing its third straight year of record homicides, violent crime is skyrocketing across the state, and a drug epidemic is tearing our communities apart.
Division of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Director Tina Virgil stated at the Badger State Sheriffs’ Conference in March of 2022 that DCI is down to just 88 agents out of 113 positions with more expected to leave DCI and Director Virgil confirmed these staffing problems at a separate Badger State Sheriffs’ Conference in May of 2022.
Fond du Lac County District Attorney and law enforcement’s choice for Attorney General, Eric Toney, released the following statement:
“Josh Kaul continues to hide the truth from the people of Wisconsin and needs to put up or shut up. I challenge him to immediately release documentation on the number of filled DCI agent and DOJ criminal litigation unit prosector positions on the payroll from the first day he took office, and the first day of every month thereafter until October 1, 2022, so the people of Wisconsin can see exactly how much Josh Kaul has defunded the police at our DOJ. According to his own DCI Administrator, Kaul’s leaving critical law enforcement positions unfilled. This is detrimental to fighting crime and keeping Wisconsin families safe.”
Eric Toney emphasized his pledge to fill all vacant investigator jobs immediately after being sworn in next year.”At a time of historic violence in our state, it’s shameful that Kaul has left critical agent and prosecutor positions unfilled at the Division of Criminal Investigation and the Criminal Litigation Unit. This puts the people of Wisconsin’s safety at risk and is either intentional or dangerously neglectful. Either way, Kaul has failed to make public safety a priority which has contributed to a less safe Wisconsin. We cannot afford another four years of his failures. As Attorney General, I will fix the mess Kaul created and fill all vacant investigator and prosecutor positions immediately. Public safety is on the ballot this November.”
District Attorney Eric Toney is endorsed by over 100 Sheriffs, District Attorneys, and Police Chiefs, and has been unanimously endorsed by the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge, the Milwaukee Police Association, the Kenosha Professional Police Association, the Racine Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, the Racine Police Association, and the Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization.
To learn more about why Eric Toney is running for Attorney General, along with his background and vision for Wisconsin, click here.
