The City of Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission (FPC) is undergoing a significant transition due to the recent announcements that FPC Chair Marisabel Cabrera and FPC Executive Director LaKeisha Butler are leaving their positions. Milwaukee’s elected officials will play a critical role in ensuring that the processes for selecting their replacements are transparent and include community involvement.

As was the case with last year’s selection of a new Police Chief, the City must ensure that there are public forums, at convenient times and locations, for the leading candidates for both the FPC Director and any new FPC Commissioners to hear and respond to public input. These are critical steps in ensuring transparency, obtaining community input, and rebuilding trust with the community.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin seeks to defend the civil liberties and civil rights of all Wisconsin residents.  Advocating for police accountability has been a priority of our organization for many years.  The FPC plays a critical role in oversight of the Milwaukee Police Department and will have an important role in assuring the successful implementation of our settlement agreement in the Collins Stop and Frisk case and of the recommendations of the US Department of Justice draft COPs report.  

If we don’t demand a budget that reflects our values, then we won’t get one. We are at a turning point for Wisconsin, where we can finally divest from overspending on mass incarceration and invest in public benefits education, transit, and healthcare. The Public Hearings of the Joint Finance Committee on the 2019-2021 state budget will be held:

• Friday, April 5 – Janesville
• Wednesday, April 10 - Oak Creek
• Monday, April 15 – River Falls
• Wednesday, April 24 – Green Bay

If you are unavailable to testify in person on the day of your area's hearing there are still many ways to legislators know where you stand on the budget, participate in local auctions, and amplify our message. Please fill out the entire form. http://bit.ly/JFCTestimony

Note: This form is not official registration to testify at the hearings. This form is intended for participants of Budget Action Workshops and others who are interested in joining forces with other advocates at and beyond the hearings. This work is co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Public Education Network, the ACLU of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Voices and the Wisconsin Leadership Development Project.

The ACLU of Wisconsin is a non-profit, non-partisan, private organization whose 13,000 members support its efforts to defend the civil rights and liberties of all Wisconsin residents. For more on the ACLU of Wisconsin, visit our  About Us page of this website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.