Report: Violent crime up, police down in Wisconsin cities

A new report finds that the number of police officers in Wisconsin's largest cities has declined over the past decade, while the violent crime rate has gone up.

The data released Friday from the Wisconsin Policy Forum runs contrary to national trends that show a double-digit decrease in violent crime in all cities between 2008 and 2017.

That drop nationally has occurred while the number of police has decreased at the same rate as in Wisconsin.

Data in the report is likely to bolster arguments for those seeking more officers. Many cities are grappling with how to pay for them in the face of other pressing budget needs.