A proposal to bolster small police departments in Wisconsin that struggle with staffing.
Democratic State Assembly Rep. Clinton Anderson of Beloit joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in sponsoring a bill that would create grants to cover costs related to sending job candidates to police academies and six months of on-the-job training.
Anderson says the grants would be available to agencies with fewer than 25 full-time officers plus an officer leaving in the next six months or a 20% vacancy rate.
Departments in his district that could benefit include Evansville, Orfordville and the town of Beloit. Anderson says multiple agencies in Green County that he previously represented also could qualify for the grants.
The proposal has backing from the state Fraternal Order of Police and professional organizations representing police chiefs, sheriffs, and rank-and-file officers and sheriff’s deputies.
