Madison, Wis. – At a recent press conference, United States Attorney General William Barr announced Operation Relentless Pursuit, a multi-jurisdictional federal effort to assist state and local law enforcement in high-crime cities. Through federal grants for additional police hiring and specialized training, as well as collaboration on sharing knowledge and best practices, Operation Relentless Pursuit represents a rededication to combatting violence in particularly affected urban areas. The project identified Milwaukee as one of the cities in greatest need of assistance in managing its crime problem.
In response to the new federal initiative, State Representative Joe Sanfelippo (R–New Berlin) announced today that he will be introducing a new package of legislation aimed at combatting violent crime throughout Wisconsin.
“Violent crime remains a persistent problem for communities in all corners of the state. I have spoken with people from across Wisconsin and their message is clear: lawmakers in Madison need to start taking this issue seriously and work to make our communities safer. I applaud Attorney General Barr for bringing in federal resources to assist Milwaukee in improving its law enforcement’s effectiveness. The help is greatly appreciated and this collaboration will go a long way towards reducing the drug and gang crime responsible for much of the violence in southeastern Wisconsin. At the same time, we cannot rely solely on the federal government to get our house in order; as state government leaders, we need to take a hard look at how this problem has worsened and make serious reforms to reduce violent crime for the long term. That is why I will be introducing a comprehensive package of legislation in the near future that will represent bold, but achievable, solutions for Wisconsin’s violent crime. I have been working closely with law enforcement and criminal justice experts on identifying and appropriately targeting the root causes that lead many parts of Wisconsin to suffer with high crime rates. These will include measures to introduce accountability for prosecutors, oversight of our correctional system, transparency in our courts, protections for crime victims, and, most importantly, consequences for violent and repeat criminals. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Madison on moving this important legislation forward.” said Sanfelippo.
