IMMEDIATE ADOPTION
Number
200259
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. PEREZ, COGGS, DIMITRIJEVIC, JOHNSON, HAMILTON, KOVAC, BAUMAN, RAINEY, ZAMARRIPA, LEWIS, AND STAMPER, II
Title
Resolution directing the Budget Director to prepare a model 2021 budget for the Milwaukee Police Department reflecting a 10-percent reduction in its 2020 budget.
Analysis
This resolution directs the Budget Director to prepare a model 2021 budget for the Milwaukee Police Department reflecting a 10-percent decrease in its 2020 budget. It further expresses the Common Council's intention to use these funds for other purposes related to enhancing public health and safety.
Body
Whereas, The Milwaukee Police Department’s 2020 budget appropriation represents 45.4% of all General Fund departmental appropriations; and
Whereas, In the same budget, the appropriation to the Department of Public Works represented 18.3%, that to the Library represented 3.6%, and that to the Milwaukee Health Department represented a mere 2.2%; and
Whereas, The continued growth in the cost of the Milwaukee Police Department is not sustainable on its face and, perhaps worse, threatens to starve other, equally worth, City services of necessary resources; and
Whereas, Recent events have caused many to ask whether too much is asked of police officers and whether smaller, interpersonal matters are not better addressed by community groups and those trained in conflict resolution, peace-building, and similar disciplines; and
Whereas, There have been local and nationwide calls for reallocation of resources to services and agencies that work to address racism, poverty, joblessness, mental illness, and other underlying causes of criminal behavior; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Budget Director is directed to prepare a detailed, model 2021 budget for the Milwaukee Police Department reflecting a 10% reduction in its 2020 budget; and be it
Further Resolved, That the Common Council expresses its intention to use these savings to increase the resources available for purposes related to improving public safety and health including:
The Fire and Police Commission to fund training to hire additional investigators and to ensure adequate external monitoring, the latter to be acquired via a request-for-proposals process
The Milwaukee Health Department to fund community-based mental health programs and services including the Blueprint for Peace, Trauma-informed care, domestic violence programming, and 414LIFE
The Office of the Common Council - City Clerk to fund the Community Collaborative Commission (CCC) which will use these resources to select and fund, via a request-for-proposals process to be approved by subsequent Common Council action, community-based organizations that can accelerate and enhance police-community relations including those necessary to implement the recommendations of the Community Collaborative Committee's report; and
The Housing Trust Fund and other agencies to further the creation of affordable housing including new housing cooperatives, rehabilitation, and home ownership
Other purposes as may be discerned in collaborative discussion with the community
; and, be it
Further Resolved, That this model budget shall be submitted to the Common Council within 30 days of the effective date of this resolution and shall include a narrative of the effect the proposed reductions would have on the services provided by the Milwaukee Police Department.
Requestor
Drafter
James R. Owczarski
June 10, 2020