Police professionals dump Walker
“When Scott Walker used his budget to make the single largest cut in a decade to the local government funding used to support police services, we were outspoken in warning that his reckless actions would hurt public safety,” said Wisconsin Professional Police Association (WPPA) Executive Director Jim Palmer.
“The FBI’s crime data now makes clear that, under Governor Walker, not only has Wisconsin trailed its neighbors in creating jobs, but in combating violent crime as well,” Jim said. “The crime data demonstrates that Wisconsin has become less safe than it was before Governor Walker took office, and we can no longer afford his failed leadership.”
Referring to data from the FBI which shows that the growth in Wisconsin’s violent crime is far greater than across the country and the Midwest, the Wisconsin Professional Police Association (WPPA) announced today its endorsement of Mary Burke in her race for governor. Representing nearly 10,000 members, the group’s decision was made by its board of directors, which consists of rank-and-file law enforcement officers from across the state. In making this endorsement, the WPPA evaluated each of the candidates and their records. The group specifically cited statistics from the FBI which show how Wisconsin’s 19% increase in violent crime has far outpaced the nation and every other state in the Midwest but one.
“Law enforcement officers appreciate that Mary Burke is not a career politician, and that she will put her extensive business leadership and experience to work to better provide for the prosperity and safety of everyone in Wisconsin,” Palmer added. “The WPPA has regularly supported Republicans and Democrats alike on the basis of who it believes will best support the dedicated men and women who work to keep our streets safe. This is about public safety and not partisan politics, which is why we are endorsing Mary Burke as the best candidate to lead our state.”
Representing the vast majority of law enforcement officers in Wisconsin, the WPPA is the state’s largest law enforcement group. Earlier this week, it announced its endorsement of Republican Brad Schimel for Attorney General.
(Editor’s note: The good old days when the GOP candidate endorsement was a no-brainer are over. These days labor leaders would be wise to ignore party affiliation entirely and focus on the details especially where a Democratic candidate or a Republican candidate comes down on an issue as critical to governance as public safety.