Forum Friday – Investigating Police Budgets

For the second installment of our new virtual event series, Forum Friday, Wisconsin Policy Forum President Rob Henken discussed a report we published recently on police spending trends statewide as well as analyses of police spending in Milwaukee we conducted as part of our annual city budget briefs.

Then, we invited our guest speakers to join the discussion. City of Milwaukee Alderman Michael Murphy, who chairs the city’s Finance and Personnel Committee, shared his thoughts on the overall city budget outlook for 2021 and the factors that could influence spending levels in next year’s Milwaukee Police Department budget. We asked Reggie Moore, director of Milwaukee’s Office of Violence Prevention, to speak to his office’s activities and where additional investments ideally would be made (if resources were available) to address societal factors that contribute to crime and reduce economic opportunity.

Watch the discussion here:

During Forum Fridays, we discuss a timely research topic and invite notable guests and Forum members to join the conversation. This doesn’t replace our in-person events such as our Viewpoint Luncheons or Policy in a Pub, which are on hold for now during the current crisis. But, we hope this can be a new way to keep you informed and connected on our state’s most pressing public policy issues. Stay tuned for more Forum Friday events in the near future!