New Database Shows Law Enforcement Spending by Community
Local governments in Wisconsin – including cities, villages, towns, and counties – spend more than $2 billion a year on law enforcement and related costs like jails. Black community leaders have called on policymakers to put that money to better use, shifting resources away from law enforcement and towards mental health services, housing, job assistance, and other services that strengthen communities.
Now, a new online database from the Wisconsin Budget Project allows residents to look up spending on law enforcement and related costs for Wisconsin’s largest 100 cities and all 72 counties, and see how that amount compares to public spending for other other purposes.
In a third of Wisconsin’s largest cities – including the City of Milwaukee – policymakers have chosen to spend more on law enforcement than on any other purpose, including transportation, sanitation, parks and development, or fire and ambulance services.
Wisconsin policymakers should listen to calls to assess law enforcement spending, and if necessary, reallocate resources in a way that better supports communities and allows them to thrive. This database gives advocates information they can use to facilitate this conversation in their communities.
Click here to access our online database of local law enforcement spending.
The Wisconsin Budget Project will continue to bring you the latest
in policy analysis and research.
Because policy matters now, more than ever.
Click here to donate.
