Governor Scott Walker’s office is considering adding five state Justice Department staffers to investigate the deaths of suspects by law enforcement.
Walker did not include the agency’s request for three special agents and two policy analysts in his proposed state budget. But after some recent high-profile police shootings, Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the governor is willing to work with the Justice agency and the Legislature on the matter.
The Republican governor signed a law last April which made Wisconsin the first state in the nation to require outside investigations into officer-involved deaths.
Most recently, police departments have asked the state Justice Department to look into seven officer-involved incidents over a three-week period.
The DOJ’s budget request was for $700,000.
