Milwaukee police chief renews call for more RNC funding, it looks like he's getting his wish
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- When Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman was seated next to President Joe Biden last week, Norman said he asked the commander in chief for more money.
Norman was one of eight U.S. police chiefs invited to the White House for a public safety roundtable event last Wednesday.
During a Milwaukee Press Club panel event Thursday, Norman said he let Biden know Milwaukee could use more federal funding to provide security for the Republican National Convention in July.
"I'm not gonna let an opportunity like that pass by, and [President Biden] even recognized it," Norman said. "He said, 'Yes, inflation is real.' So, I was appreciative to be able to have that conversation."
Since 2004, cities hosting the Democratic and Republican national conventions have received $50 million from the federal government to cover security costs.
Last April, all eight members of Wisconsin's House delegation signed a joint letter calling for that amount to increase to $75 million. On Thursday, Norman said funding was his biggest challenge in developing a security plan for the convention.
"A $50 million grant is not appropriate for the challenges that we have in this day and age," Norman said.
Based on what's happened this week in Washington, it looks like Norman will have more than $50 million at the Milwaukee Police Department's (MPD) disposal.
A federal spending bill to keep several government agencies funded through September includes up to $75 million dollars for the conventions' host cities, Milwaukee and Chicago.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson mentioned the increased funding in his State of the City address Monday.
"We're seeking $75 million in federal money to fully fund our safety plans," Johnson said during the speech. "Senator Tammy Baldwin informed me of a major step forward when that funding was included in pending legislation."
The House passed the funding plan Wednesday. The Senate is expected to take up the bill before a deadline of midnight on Friday.
Jeff Fleming, a spokesperson for the mayor's office, said the city was still working with police to finalize a plan for exactly how it'd allocate $75 million.
Norman said the biggest cost would be personnel, including overtime for Milwaukee officers and reimbursements to other departments who will be loaning officers to give MPD the staffing it needs.
Along those lines, Norman said he had a warning Thursday for officers who'd be serving in Milwaukee during the convention.
"This is not a day of a hall pass," Norman said. "This is not a day where you can do whatever because 'I'm not back at home.' I will send you home. I will send you home."
According to an online city portal, Milwaukee has current bid requests out for the following RNC-related equipment:
- Chest protectors
- Kevlar helmets
- Emergency lighting
- Helmet communication kits
- Fire extinguisher sticks
Declining crime trend continuing
Norman opened his remarks Thursday by emphatically saying, "Crime is down."
Data posted by MPD show decreases in homicides, non-fatal shootings and reported vehicle thefts compared to this time in both 2022 and 2023.
In 2022, there were 33 homicides through this date; that year Milwaukee would set a new homicide record for the third consecutive year.
At this time last year, there were 23 homicides. So far this year, there have been 22.
Non-fatal shootings at this time last year essentially mirrored 2022, with 119 compared to 118. This year, there have been 98 non-fatal shootings.
The most dramatic decline has been in car thefts. There have been 936 so far this year compared to 1,629 in 2022. At this time last year, there were 1,148 reported car thefts.