U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Applauds Department of Justice Grant for Madison Police Department to Develop Community Partnerships

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today applauded the U.S. Department of Justice’s announcement of a $155,522 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation grant for the Madison Police Department (MPD). The funding will assist the MPD in efforts to create and maintain safer community environments in Southwest Madison neighborhoods by partnering with schools, local leaders and community organizations, including Common Wealth Development and Dane County Joining Forces for Families. Senator Baldwin supported MPD’s application for grant funding, sending a letter to U.S. Department of Justice in April. MPD will use the grant funding to design and complete a strategic, collaborative, and community-oriented plan to strengthen local relationships that will result in safer neighborhoods.

“I strongly support collaborative projects that seek to improve the safety and vitality of Wisconsin communities,” said Senator Baldwin. “I was proud to support this investment to help build partnerships and foster a strengthened connection between Madison’s schools, community leaders and local law enforcement.”

“We can accomplish so many things with partnerships and this is a great example,” said Madison Mayor Paul Soglin. “I am grateful to Senator Baldwin and the Madison Police Department for their work on this. This funding will assist in the development of a really innovative program that will involve not only police officers but neighborhood leaders, Common Wealth Development and Dane County Joining Forces for Families in outreach to neighborhoods in the Raymond Road corridor.”

“Our officers have been working hard building stronger relationships with all of our community partners in these targeted neighborhoods, and we are very grateful to the Department of Justice for helping all of us move the needle forward with the generous grant; strengthening families and strengthening neighborhoods is what this is all about,” said Madison Police Chief Mike Koval.

“Common Wealth is pleased to be a partner in this exciting program,” said Common Wealth Development Executive Director Marianne Morton. “We are committed to building connections between neighborhood residents and the City of Madison.”

 The Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) program is a part of the Obama Administration's larger Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI) that supports communities in developing strategies to change neighborhoods of distress into neighborhoods of opportunity. The goal of BCJI program is to improve community safety by designing and implementing effective, comprehensive approaches to addressing crime and advancing neighborhood revitalization through community-based partnerships.