The law enforcement support package was passed this week, mostly along party lines. Democrats would rather side with their governor than stand with law enforcement officers.

There has been a condemnation of those who put their lives on the line to protect their communities. I am proud that my Republican colleagues and I took action to support those who serve and protect us and help reverse the trend of police officers leaving the workforce.

Wisconsin currently has 13,576 law enforcement officers – the lowest number in a decade. Both retirements and resignations are contributing factors with retirements being up 45 percent and resignations up 18 percent.

At the same time, crime is on the rise. For the first time in four years, the number of violent crimes has increased compared to the previous year. Wisconsin outpaced the rest of the nation with a nearly 9 percent increase in violent crime, and Milwaukee has broken its homicide record for the second year in a row.

The bills in this package allocate approximately $25 million federal dollars to recruit, retain, train, support, and equip our officers.