President Joe Biden laid out his proposal to tackle violence as Milwaukee faces a shortage of police officers while dealing with rising crime.
"For too long too many families haven't had that peace of mind. They watch the news and they see kids being gunned down in schools and on the streets," Biden told a crowd in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. "When it comes to public safety and in this nation, the answer is not defund the police. It's fund the police."
Biden's plan includes funding to recruit, train, and retain 100,000 additional officers on the streets and focused on community policing. The president's team claimed the new funds will incentivize police departments to make changes in line with a previous executive order for federal agencies including banning chokeholds except unless deadly force is authorized.
"I hope that that will also come with some flexibility so that communities can deploy police in areas where they perhaps will serve the community best," U.S. Representative Gwen Moore said in response to the additional officers.
Earlier this month TMJ4 News reported that the Milwaukee Police Department had 236 vacancies for sworn officers. In 2019, that number was 36.
RELATED COVERAGE: Milwaukee Police Department facing possible cuts as union says there is a 'critical' officer shortage
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson dismissed Biden's proposal when we tried to ask him about it.
"I'm sure he's going to spend more money that we don't have, exacerbate inflation. Not accomplish whatever goal it's trying to accomplish," Sen. Johnson said. "Let's first try and repair some of the damage already done by other pieces of legislation democrats have passed."
Rep. Moore seemed supportive of Biden but questioned whether the officers and the funds would have any flexibility.
"So many programs that are community-based with our kids have been unfunded for years because of the dearth of resources and so the extent to which these officers can be deployed effectively will really be helpful to communities," Rep. Moore said.
Biden's plan also wants a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, plus, $20 billion towards services that address the causes of crime.
