Report: MPD hopes to reallocate funds

The Milwaukee Police Department is hoping to reallocate funds to officer training, mental health programming, and more.

NEW AT 5....THE MILWAUKEECOMMON COUNCIL ASKED TOEXPLORE WHAT A 10 PERCENTBUDGET REDUCTION WOULD LIKEWITHIN THE MILWAUKEE POLICEDEPARTMENT.

TODAY, THAT REPORTCAME BACK.OUR TONY ATKINSBREAKS DOWN THETHIS IS THE REPORT GIVEN BYTHE CITY'S BUDGET DIRECTOR TOTHE COMMON COUNCIL.

A 10PERCENT REDUCTION WOULD BEJUST UNDER 30 MILLION DOLLARS.((PKG))THAT MONEY WOULDPOTNTEIALLY BE DIVERTED INTOOFFICER TRAINING, MENTALHEALTH PROGRAMMING, VIOLENCEPREVENTION AND AFFORDABLEHOUSING.THE POLICE DEPARTMENTACTUALLY ASKED TO INCREASE ITSBUDGET IN 2021.THIS REPORTSAYS DIVERTING 30 MILLIONWOULD MEAN 120-150MPDVACANCIES THROUGH THE END OFNEXT YEAR - SOME INRETIREMENTS AND OTHERS INLAYOFFS, BASED ON SENIORITY.LOWER SALARIED COMMUNITYSERVICE OFFICERS WOULD SEEEXPANDED ROLES SUCH ASRESPONDING TO NON-EMERGENCYAND PROPERTY CALLS.

ACOMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERMAKES JUST OVER FORTY THOUSANDDOLLARS A YEAR -- A STARTI4EGPOLICE OFFICER MAKES ROUGHLY63 THOUSAND DOLLARS.

-- THEREPORT ALSO SAYS THERE WOULDBE AN IMPACT ON POLICERESPONSE TIMES AND THEY WOULDPOSISBLY CONSOLIDATE M-P-D'SDISPATCH AND INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY INTO A NEWDEPARTMENT.

((TONY))THISREPORT HAS NOW GONE TO MAYORTOM BARRETT WHO WILL BECONSIDERING IT BEFOREPRESENTING HIS BUDGET LATERTHIS MONTH.

THE MAYOR HAS GONEON RECORD - SAYING CUTS TO THEDEPARTMENT COULD COME - IF THESTATE DOESN'T HELP MORE WITHCITY FUNDING.

REPORTINGDOWNTOWN, TONY ATKINS, BUDGETSEPT 22