Promoting County-wide Public Safety

With nineteen different municipalities in Milwaukee County that all have separate legal jurisdiction for law enforcement, Milwaukee County is a patchwork of practices that can vary dramatically. We need to bring law enforcement together across the municipalities and with Sheriff Earnell Lucas’ Office to work together and marshal our resources to improve safety in neighborhoods across the entire County. We need to ensure that families are safe in the places they live, but also in the neighborhoods and the municipalities they travel in for work, recreation or are just passing through. These are major issues that have been ignored for far too long and need to be addressed. I plan to use the power and the bully pulpit of the County Executive’s Office to address these issues head on.

Preventing Violent Crime

I intend to play an active role in reducing violent crime in Milwaukee County. I’m ready to work with legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle to ensure that law enforcement and community-based organizations receive the resources they need to fight crime. 

Under my leadership, Milwaukee County will participate in the Blueprint for Peace, the successful, community-driven crime prevention strategy outlined by the Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention. 

I will also work closely with the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office to direct county resources toward investigating and prosecuting violent criminals who exploit our community’s most vulnerable residents.

Protecting our Immigrant Communities

I believe local law enforcement should focus on enforcing local laws, not become an agent of right-wing, anti-immigrant, white supremacist agendas. I stand with Sheriff Lucas in opposing local law enforcement becoming agents of ICE. I will continue to actively lobby for and advocate for comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level, support sanctuaries in Wisconsin, and oppose deportations of those who have committed no crimes or only minor crimes.

Cracking Down on Reckless Driving

Reckless driving is a scourge that has overtaken the roads all across Milwaukee County in recent years. At the state level, I have authored legislation to allow for red light cameras to assist the police in cracking down on some of the worst offenders. At the local level, I will work with the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office and municipal police departments to share resources to crack down on this dangerous behavior and bring sanity back to our roadways.

Keeping Firearms out of the Wrong Hands

Gun violence takes an enormous toll on our communities and no where in Wisconsin has that been felt more than in Milwaukee. I have always and will always continue to advocate for common sense public safety measures that have been proven to save lives. As County Executive, I will continue to support expanding background checks, extreme risk protection orders, and 48 hour waiting periods on handgun purchases. Moreover, I will work with community and business leaders to encourage safe gun ownership and push to expand mental health services for those who may pose a risk to others or themselves.