MADISON – Five public safety bills authored by Senator Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) were signed into law today. The five bills strengthen the penalties for harming police dogs and jurors, provide protections for judges, clarifies the battery statutes, and extends the Community Oriented Policing (COP) House Grant Program for another 2 years.
“Protecting the vulnerable has been a top priority since I was elected,” said Wanggaard. “These bills will improve safety for integral members of the judicial system from police dogs and judges and everyone in between, and improve safety in neighborhoods by expanding Community Oriented Policing.”
The Wanggaard-authored bills being signed into law are:
- Assembly Bill 61, the K-9 Riggs Act, named after the Kenosha County Sheriff dog who was shot in the head by a homicide suspect but miraculously survived. Co-authored with Rep. Amy Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie), this bill increases the penalties for harming a police dog to a Class H Felony, and killing a police dog to a Class G felony.
“Police Dogs aren’t pets,” said Wanggaard. “These dogs represent thousands of dollars of training, and perform some of the most dangerous tasks. They are integral members of law enforcement, and now they’ll be protected like it.”
Senate Bill 5, co-authored by Rep. Shae Sortwell (R-Two Rivers), increases the penalties for threatening to, or battering a juror or a juror’s family to a Class H felony, punishable by up to 6 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
“Our criminal justice system doesn’t work without jurors,” Wanggaard said. “Threatening a juror or his/her family to get a desired outcome puts the whole system at risk. There must be severe consequences for seeking to illegally undermine justice.”
Senate Bill 169 strengthens and clarifies Wisconsin’s judicial privacy law, by making sure the judges’ personal information remains confidential. It was co-authored by Rep. Ron Tusler (R-Harrison).
“Whether it is Judge Roemer, who was killed in his home a few years ago, or someone else, public officials are increasingly at risk from unhinged individuals,” said Wanggaard. “I am proud to have worked with Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler and Rep. Tusler to create these common sense privacy protections for judges.”
Senate Bill 278 extends the Community-Oriented Policing (COP) House grant program for an additional 2 years. Co-Authored by Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) and Rep. John Spiros (R-Marshfield), SB 278 provides $500,000 to create COP Houses in the state.
“Community Oriented Policing works. It makes the police officers part of the neighborhood to help solve problems pro-actively, rather than reacting to crime after-the-fact,” Wanggaard said. “I’m excited to be working with the Milwaukee Common Council and Milwaukee Police Association to implement this on the south side of Milwaukee.”
Senate Bill 121, re-organizes, recodifies, and standardizes Wisconsin’s battery laws. The bill was drafted by a legislative council study committee chaired by Senator Wanggaard.
“Wisconsin’s battery laws evolved over the years into a jumbled mess,” said Wanggaard. “Similar laws used different terminology, and different elements for similar crimes. I’m proud to have worked with District Attorneys, defense attorneys, judges, and law enforcement across the state to clean up these statutes.”
