Republican attorney general candidate Paul Bucher dubbed the level of violence in Milwaukee a crisis Friday, and said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is "wrong" for saying otherwise.
Bucher, district attorney for Waukesha County, addressed the heightened violence after a couple of high-profile crimes rattled Wisconsin's largest city last week. One of the crimes saw a 22-year-old Special Olympian being shot and killed during a robbery, while in another an 11-year-old girl was reportedly sexually assaulted by 19 people.
At the annual "Milwaukee Night" in Washington D.C. Thursday, Barrett said the problems signify "huge challenges" — but not a crisis.
According to Bucher's campaign, Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager has not properly addressed the extent of statewide violence, either.
"These violent crimes clearly show a crisis, and Paul Bucher recognizes the need for active solutions," said Davin Fischer, spokesperson for Bucher's campaign. "Paul wants the attorney general to have a role that this attorney general has not had."
Fischer added Bucher has supported a number of short-term proposals, including a mandatory 10-year sentence for crimes involving firearms and allowing law-enforcement officers to carry concealed weapons. Bucher also advocated a long-term solution outlined in a resolution introduced by Milwaukee Ald. Bob Donovan.
"Paul's on board for a resolution from Ald. Donovan, which is an anti-violence campaign to be used to identify 150 individuals who are believed to be driving the violence in Milwaukee," Fischer said. "We want to target those people to target the violent outbreak."
Though he does not see Milwaukee's violence as a crisis, Barrett said he is still going to deal with it. He proposes to resolve the problem by providing job training for citizens, keeping children in school and helping people realize there is never a need to resort to violence.
Adam Collins, communications director for Democratic attorney general candidate Kathleen Falk, said Falk is supportive of the leadership in Milwaukee but also determined to solve the violence.
"There are a lot of great leaders in Milwaukee, but as attorney general, Kathleen Falk will be committed to not just be in the office, but out working in the community with teachers, parents and churches to stop this violence," he said.
In a previous interview with The Badger Herald, Falk said if elected attorney general she will be committed to being in Milwaukee at least one day of each week. Falk also said she advocated reform measures to curb gang violence, noting she has seen an increase in younger people joining gangs.
So far this year, Fischer noted homicide rates in Milwaukee have decreased, but assaults are up 22 percent and robberies are up 36 percent. He said Bucher is still concerned with the rise in crime that occurs at certain times during the year.
"An explosion of violent crime seems to occur in the summer months," he said. "In June, Paul called for '90 cops in 90 days' to get more boots on the ground by funding more overtime hours."
On Tuesday, Bucher will face JB Van Hollen in the Republican primary, and Falk will take on incumbent Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager for the Democratic nomination. The winners will advance to the general election on Nov. 7.
