WPPA Executive Director Named to Task Force to Examine Policing

October 22, 2020

(MADISON, Wis.) – The WPPA will be the only statewide law enforcement organization represented on a newly-formed task force that will examine ways to address racial disparities, educational opportunities, public safety, and law enforcement policies and standards. 

On October 21, Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) publicly named the individuals that will serve on the Speaker’s Task Force on Racial Disparities. The WPPA’s Executive Director, Jim Palmer, was among those appointed to the momentous body created after weeks of protests, civil unrest, and rioting following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha.

In a statement, Speaker Vos indicated that more than 100 people applied to serve on the task force and that its co-chairs, Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna) and Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) spent several weeks interviewing the candidates. In addition to Palmer, the diverse task force includes 4 legislators and 27 community members. 

In September, the WPPA unveiled the most comprehensive series of detailed reforms by any police group in the country. Entitled “A Blueprint for Change,” the WPPA plan outlines proposals that fall into one of four categories: Training & Standards, Oversight & Accountability, Community Engagement & Innovation, and Officer Wellness. It includes measures such as creating new grant funding for body-worn cameras and crisis intervention training, whistleblower protections for officers, and new penalties for rioting and for filing false complaints against officers.

The WPPA has been more active and vocal than any police group in the country during this unprecedented reckoning of policing in America. In fact, a new page has been added to the WPPA’s website with links to the news media stories highlighting our unparalleled advocacy on behalf of you and your profession. The WPPA’s representation on the Speaker’s task force is the culmination of those tireless efforts, which will serve to protect you and all those who work to keep our communities safe.