Tom Barrett IMAGE: WRN
A candidate for governor picks up some law enforcement support. Wisconsin’s largest police organization has officially endorsed Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett for governor. Jim Palmer is executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association. “The WPPA supports candidates on a bipartisan basis,” Palmer said, noting that the 11,000 member organization has also endorsed the reelection bid of Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen.
Van Hollen is a Republican, Barrett a Democrat. The mayor used the endorsement press conference to warn that Republicans Mark Neumann and Scott Walker would run up the state’s deficit – and make scary cuts. “It is not inconceivable, in fact it would be likely, that programs that support law enforcement would be on the chopping block,” Barrett said. “By making a choice which would in essence make that deficit larger, that’s what we would end up with.” Barrett said violent crime in Milwaukee has dropped 20 percent over the past two years, and total homicides remain at the lowest levels in nearly 25 years.
AUDIO: Barrett press conference (7:40 MP3) TomBarrettWPPA5122010