Officials and civilians met Thursday at the Dane County Sheriff’s Office to openly discuss
procedure for officer-involved deaths, according to a release from Friends of Paul Heenan.
Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney hosted an open discussion with police and sheriff association representatives, civilians, sheriffs, police chiefs, district attorneys and law scholars concerning the adoptive measures outlined in Wisconsin Assembly Bill 409.
The bill, also known as the Citizens and Law Enforcement Safety Act, regulates the investigation of deaths involving a law-enforcement officer and requires every law-enforcement agency to have a written policy regarding these deaths.
Attendees discussed the specifics of the original bill, including mandatory drug and alcohol testing for officers involved in deaths and the creation of an investigative review board. According to the release, a strong majority of participants agreed the current form of the bill is a “positive and workable step forward.”
State Rep. Garey Bies, R-Sister Bay, said in the release he commended attendees for discussing “complex, emotional issues in an adult fashion,” and state Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, said the meeting was a model that leads to good policy. Neither of the bill’s co-authors attended the event.
