47% of the city budget goes to the police. When will it start going to us?

About LiberateMKEā€¦


Through our LiberateMKE campaign, we started having authentic conversations with residents to find out what a liberated Milwaukee would look like to them. We want to build meaningful relationships to bring about community change.

Over the last five years, the police budget has grown while every other city department has seen little to no growth. We know that instead of police, we could invest in programs that address the root causes of poverty and violence, like jobs, public health, and housing.

We surveyed residents, including students and elders, at meetings and community events throughout the city asking where they would like to see monies allocated. Residents' answers included youth employment and transportation, economic opportunity through job training and financial literacy, and non-police violence prevention projects such as violence interrupter programs.

In 2024, we will build on the success in 2023 to train and develop LiberateMKE leaders who are active in the campaign's development, strategy, and implementation by providing at least 25 hours of training on basic organizing, conducting 1-1, facilitation, and lobbying.


Get Involved

You can learn more about the budget calendar here and watch any public hearings or Common Council meetings by clicking the button below.


Photo Credit: Joe Brusky

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