Madison – The Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association (WCPA) released the following statement after the announcement by Assembly Republicans on legislation that includes a substantial investment in public safety initiatives.
“The Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association, as well as our members across the state greatly appreciate efforts to double the funding for law enforcement training and provide additional revenue to our local government partners. The proposal changes the training fund mechanism from an account that is insufficient to cover the costs, to this new funding source that will create a stable account for the future.
The proposed bill will help our departments continue to have the best trained and qualified officers, as well as provide local governments money to fund public safety initiatives to continue to keep our communities safe.”
Background
Currently, the Wisconsin Department of Justice reimburses local law enforcement departments each year for the 24 hours of state mandated training every officer is required to perform. In addition, the law enforcement training fund reimburses the academy costs for new recruits. Individual departments have reported that training for one officer can range from $1,000-$3,000 per year. Currently, departments receive $160 per year per officer in recertification reimbursement. This proposal would increase the reimbursement to $320.
These expenditures are currently funded by the Penalty Surcharge Account. Since the Penalty Surcharge Account has insufficient funds, payments are often delayed until the fund can be replenished at the start of the next state fiscal year. The proposal announced today would guarantee a stable funding source for this vital program.
