Chapter 165

165.98(2) (2) A law enforcement agency may apply, or more than one law enforcement agency may jointly apply, to the department of justice for a grant under this section and shall include in the application all of the following:

165.98(2)(a) (a) A proposed plan of expenditure of the grant money, including the estimated cost per body camera and the number of body cameras needed.

165.98(2)(b) (b) A statement indicating that the applicant intends to match the amount of the grant awarded and agrees to maintain the equipment, replace the equipment as needed, and maintain adequate digital video storage for at least 3 years from the date of the award.

165.98(2)(c) (c) The amount of time that the applicant anticipates it will need after receiving the grant money before it is able to equip with a body camera all officers as required under sub. (3).

165.98(3) (3) Notwithstanding a policy under s. 165.87 (1), a law enforcement agency that receives a grant under this section shall do all of the following for at least 3 years from the date of the award:

165.98(3)(a) (a) Equip with a body camera all officers who have primary duties involving traffic patrol, beat patrol, or responding to calls from the public requiring assistance.

165.98(3)(b) (b) Require an officer who is equipped with a body camera to activate the camera in situations in which the officer has an enforcement or investigative contact with a member of the public, including a traffic stop, arrest, search, interrogation, or interview, or in any other situation in which the officer has contact with a member of the public that becomes adversarial after the initial contact.

165.98(4) (4) The department shall attempt to award grants to all law enforcement agencies that apply and qualify under sub. (2). If available funds are not sufficient to issue grants to all applicants, the department shall consider fairness among different population areas and need based on crime rates.

165.98(5) (5) A law enforcement agency that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds in accordance with the following:

165.98(5)(a) (a) The funds may be used only to cover the cost of body cameras, digital storage, and retrieval systems. The funds may be used to purchase body cameras only for law enforcement officers under sub. (3) (a). The funds may not be used to hire employees or pay salaries.

165.98(5)(b) (b) The funds are intended to pay for half of the costs of the body cameras, and the grant recipients are to pay for the other half. The grant recipients may use contributions, gifts, or other grants as part or all of their matching amount requirement.

165.98(5)(c) (c) The funds may not supplant existing resources.

165.98 History History: 2021 a. 185.

165.982 165.982 Weed and seed project grants.

165.982(1) (1) The department of justice may award grants from the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (dg) to any eligible city whose plan for the expenditure of funds is approved. The grant shall be used to carry out a comprehensive, multi-agency “weed and seed” project to restore safety and vitality to a targeted neighborhood that suffers from high levels of violent and drug-related crime. The grant moneys that a city receives under this section may not supplant existing local resources. A plan submitted for approval shall specify a strategy to achieve the goals of the grant and must include a concerted law enforcement effort to curb drug trafficking and related crime, a decentralized law enforcement and crime prevention effort in a targeted neighborhood, and a coordinated, community-based effort to strengthen the neighborhood’s social base and revitalize the neighborhood. The department of justice, with the concurrence of the department of health services, shall develop criteria which, notwithstanding s. 227.10 (1), need not be promulgated as rules under ch. 227, for use in awarding grants under this section. The department of justice and department of health services shall jointly review any proposed plan and approve those plans that meet the criteria.

165.982(2) (2) To be eligible for the grant, a plan shall include all of the following:

165.982(2)(a) (a) Oversight of the project by the mayor’s office or by a steering committee appointed by the mayor.

165.982(2)(b) (b) Written support by the chief of police and the superintendent of the school district.

165.982(2)(c) (c) A law enforcement coordinating committee and a neighborhood revitalization coordinating committee to plan and implement project activities.

165.982(3) (3) The proposed site for the use of a grant shall be an identifiable neighborhood with high violent crime and drug arrest rates. The neighborhood shall have experience in neighborhood planning and organizing or, in lieu thereof, evidence shall be provided that such planning and organizing efforts would be supported by, and would be effective in, the neighborhood.

165.982(4) (4) Grant recipients shall provide a 25 percent match in funds or in-kind services. Grants shall be awarded for 3-year periods.

165.982(5) (5) The department of justice and the department of health services shall provide training and technical assistance to grant recipients. Both departments shall work with the steering committees and coordinating committees of the projects and participate in planning and implementing project initiatives as appropriate.

165.982(6) (6) A city shall submit a proposed plan for a grant under this section so that the plan is received by the department of justice on or before July 15, 1994.

165.982 History History: 1993 a. 193; 1995 a. 27 s. 9126 (19); 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a).

165.983 165.983 Law enforcement technology grants. The department of justice shall establish policies and procedures for the distribution of grants from the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (dg) to law enforcement agencies in cities with high levels of violent and drug-related crime to acquire law enforcement technology. Notwithstanding s. 227.10 (1), the department need not promulgate the required policies and procedures as rules under ch. 227. A law enforcement agency receiving a grant under this section shall provide matching funds equal to 50 percent of the grant awarded. The grant shall be used to acquire technology that is innovative to the applicant law enforcement agency and consistent with the technology, resources and operational procedures of the applicant law enforcement agency. A grant may not be used for the expansion or replacement of existing equipment or facilities. A law enforcement agency may apply to the department for a grant under this section and shall include a proposed plan of expenditure of the grant moneys. The department shall review each application and plan and may provide a grant to an eligible law enforcement agency.

165.983 History History: 1993 a. 193.

165.984 165.984 Law enforcement drug trafficking response grants.

165.984(1) (1) In this section:

165.984(1)(a) (a) “Tribal law enforcement agency” has the meaning given in s. 165.83 (1) (e).

165.984(1)(b) (b) “Wisconsin law enforcement agency” means a governmental unit of one or more persons employed full time by this state or a political subdivision of this state for the purpose of preventing and detecting crime and enforcing state laws or local ordinances, employees of which unit are authorized to make arrests for crimes while acting within the scope of their authority, and includes a task force administered by the department of justice that exists to respond to drug crimes.

165.984(2) (2) The department of justice shall establish policies and procedures for the distribution of grants from the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (cm) to Wisconsin law enforcement agencies and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund law enforcement response to drug trafficking. Notwithstanding s. 227.10 (1), the department need not promulgate the required policies and procedures as rules under ch. 227.

165.984(3) (3) A Wisconsin law enforcement agency or tribal law enforcement agency may apply to the department of justice for a grant under this section and shall include a proposed plan of expenditure of the grant money. The proposed plan of expenditure shall specify a new program or purpose for which the funds will be used. If the proposed plan of expenditure will result in the agency incurring an ongoing expense that will continue after all grant funds have been spent, the plan shall include a description of how that expense will be met when there are no remaining grant funds.

165.984(4) (4) The department of justice shall review each application and plan and may provide grants to an eligible Wisconsin law enforcement agency or tribal law enforcement agency of not more than $50,000 per application and plan and not more than $100,000 per agency. A grant may be provided only to fund a new program or purpose within the agency and may not be provided to supplement an existing program.

165.984(5) (5) A Wisconsin law enforcement agency or tribal law enforcement agency receiving a grant under this section may use the grant to fund extra training for law enforcement officers, the hiring of additional officers to investigate drug trafficking, or any other purpose that is directly related to drug trafficking response and that is not an existing program within the agency at the time the grant is received.

165.984 History History: 2017 a. 261.

165.986 165.986 Beat patrol officers; grant program.

165.986(1) (1) The department of justice shall provide grants from the appropriations under s. 20.455 (2) (bm) and (kb) to cities to employ additional uniformed law enforcement officers whose primary duty is beat patrolling. A city is eligible for a grant under this subsection in fiscal year 1994-95 if the city has a population of 25,000 or more. A city may receive a grant for a calendar year if the city applies for a grant before September 1 of the preceding calendar year. Grants shall be awarded to the 10 eligible cities submitting an application for a grant that have the highest rates of violent crime index offenses in the most recent full calendar year for which data is available under the uniform crime reporting system of the federal bureau of investigation.

165.986(2) (2) A city applying to the department of justice for a grant under sub. (1) shall include a proposed plan of expenditure of the grant moneys. The grant moneys that a city receives under sub. (1) may be used for salary and fringe benefits only. Except as provided in sub. (3), the positions for which funding is sought must be created on or after April 21, 1994, and result in a net increase in the number of uniformed law enforcement officers assigned to beat patrol duties.

165.986(3) (3) During the first 6 months of the first year of a grant under sub. (1), a city may, with the approval of the department, use part of the grant for the payment of salary and fringe benefits for overtime provided by uniformed law enforcement officers whose primary duty is beat patrolling. A city may submit a request to the department for a 3-month extension of the use of the grant for the payment of overtime costs. To be eligible to use part of the first year’s grant for overtime costs, the city shall provide the department with all of the following:

165.986(3)(a) (a) The reasons why uniformed law enforcement officers assigned to beat patrol duties need to work overtime.

165.986(3)(b) (b) The status of the hiring and training of new uniformed law enforcement officers who will have beat patrol duties.

165.986(3)(c) (c) Documentation that a sufficient amount of the grant for the first year will be available, during the period remaining after the payment of overtime costs, to pay the salary and fringe benefits of the same number of uniformed officers whose primary duty is beat patrolling that the grant originally planned to pay.

165.986(4) (4) The department shall develop criteria which, notwithstanding s. 227.10 (1), need not be promulgated as rules under ch. 227, for use in determining the amount to grant to cities under sub. (1). The department may not award an annual grant under sub. (1) in excess of $150,000 to any city. The department shall review any application and plan submitted under sub. (2) to determine if that application and plan meet the requirements of this section. The grant that a city receives under sub. (1) may not supplant existing local resources.

165.986(5) (5) A city may receive a grant under sub. (1) for 3 consecutive years without submitting a new application each year. For each year that a city receives a grant under sub. (1), the city shall provide matching funds of at least 25 percent of the amount of the grant.

165.986(6) (6) The department may make grants under sub. (1) to additional cities with a population of 25,000 or more after fiscal year 1994-95. Eligibility for the grants shall be determined and allocations made as provided in this section.

165.986(7) (7) From the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (jc), the department shall make grants in amounts determined by the department to cities with a population of 25,000 or more to reimburse overtime costs for uniformed law enforcement officers whose primary duty is beat patrolling, except that the department may award no more than $400,000 to a city for a calendar year. The grants may be used for salary and fringe benefits only. The grants may be awarded only to the 10 eligible cities submitting an application for a grant that have the highest rates of violent crime index offenses in the most recent full calendar year for which data is available under the uniform crime reporting system of the federal bureau of investigation. A city may receive a grant for a calendar year if the city applies before September 1 of the preceding calendar year and provides the department all of the following:

165.986(7)(a) (a) The reasons why uniformed law enforcement officers assigned to beat patrol duties need to work overtime.

165.986(7)(b) (b) The status of the hiring and training of new uniformed law enforcement officers who will have beat patrol duties.

165.986(7)(c) (c) A proposed plan of expenditure of the grant moneys.

165.986 History History: 2013 a. 20 ss. 174, 1946; Stats. 2013 s. 165.986; 2017 a. 59; 2017 a. 364 s. 49; 2019 a. 9.

165.987 165.987 Youth diversion programs; grant program.

165.987(1) (1) From the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (kj), the department of justice shall allocate $500,000 in each fiscal year to enter into a contract with an organization to provide services in a county having a population of 750,000 or more for the diversion of youths from gang activities into productive activities, including placement in appropriate educational, recreational, and employment programs. Notwithstanding s. 16.75, the department may enter into a contract under this subsection without soliciting bids or proposals and without accepting the lowest responsible bid or offer.

165.987(2) (2) From the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (k), the department of justice may not distribute more than $300,000 in each fiscal year to the organization that it has contracted with under sub. (1) for alcohol and other drug abuse education and treatment services for participants in that organization’s youth diversion program.

165.987(3) (3) From the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (kj) the department of justice shall allocate $150,000 in each fiscal year to enter into a contract with an organization to provide services in Racine County, $150,000 in each fiscal year to enter into a contract with an organization to provide services in Kenosha County, and $150,000 in each fiscal year to enter into a contract with an organization to provide services in Brown County, and from the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (kj), the department shall allocate $100,000 in each fiscal year to enter into a contract with an organization, for the diversion of youths from gang activities into productive activities, including placement in appropriate educational, recreational, and employment programs, and for alcohol or other drug abuse education and treatment services for participants in that organization’s youth diversion program. Notwithstanding s. 16.75, the department may enter into a contract under this subsection without soliciting bids or proposals and without accepting the lowest responsible bid or offer.

165.987 History History: 2013 a. 20 ss. 175, 1947; Stats. 2013 s. 165.987; 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 207; 2017 a. 365 s. 111.

165.989 165.989 Community-oriented policing-house grant program. The department of justice shall award grants to cities with a population of 30,000 or more to fund community-oriented policing-house programs. The department of justice shall use the following criteria in awarding grants under this section:

165.989(1) (1) The ability to maximize grant resources to serve the greatest number of people and the greatest number of cities.

165.989(2) (2) The city’s plan to integrate the community-oriented policing house into the fabric of the community and the neighborhood.

165.989(3) (3) The future ability to use the community-oriented policing house for multiple purposes, including building relationships between law enforcement and the community and connecting residents of the neighborhood to community supports.

165.989(4) (4) The ability for community organizations, government agencies, faith-based organizations, and other nonprofit entities to use the community-oriented policing house once it is established.

Effective date note NOTE: This section is repealed eff. 7-1-25 by 2023 Wis. Act 19.

165.989 History History: 2021 a. 51; 2023 a. 19.