Wausau Pilot & Review
The Wausau Policing Task Force will hold a public hearing on its draft final report on policing policies and practices on Wednesday, May 18.
The Task Force decided on the date for the public hearing last month.
The WPTF has finalized its report after 20 months of work that included public listening sessions, a public survey on policing in Wausau, and focus groups hearings. The city engaged the Wisconsin Institute of Public Policy and Service (WIPPS) to conduct and coordinate these activities.
The Task Force has already briefed several bodies, including the City Council. Unless the hearings lead to big changes, the prepared report will be considered final. The WPTF’s last meeting will be on May 23 where it will wrap, with an action plan recommendation to various bodies in the City and Marathon County.
Among the major recommendations are expansion of CART (Crisis Assessment Response Team) and addressing homelessness in the city. The WPRF members felt that homelessness needed to be prioritized.
According to the press release, community members will be given up to five minutes for their comments.
“After the public hearing, the Task Force will review the comments, finalize their recommendations, and develop a plan of action,” the press release added. The hearing will be held at the City Council Chambers, 407 Grant St.
(The draft report can be found at: https://bit.ly/policing-task-force-draft. The meeting can be watched at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Nigpdco_i8sq5FbbJD_aw)
