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Trempealeau County officials warn victim-services funding shortfall risks losing local supports
Summary
County law enforcement and sheriffs association leaders told visiting legislators federal funding for victim services is falling and urged the state to fill a gap between a DOJ proposal and the governor—s budget to keep crisis intervention, shelters and child advocacy centers operating.
Trempealeau County Sheriff Brett Simmickson told a delegation of state legislators that federal grant funding for victim-services programs is shrinking and counties risk losing services that support crime victims.
"The federal funding is falling off rapidly and it's to a point now where we risk losing services in our county," said Brett Simmickson, Sheriff of Trempealeau County and vice president of the Badger State Sheriffs Association. "The service investments that we're asking will maintain essential supports like crisis intervention, domestic violence shelters, advocacy for children."
Simmickson said counties use grant funding to support victim advocates, crisis intervention and child advocacy centers that interview victims of sexual assault and child abuse. He told legislators the U.S. Department of Justice proposed $67,800,000 to address a statewide shortfall; the governor's budget, he said, allocates about $3,700,000 over two years.
"Without that, it's going to be very difficult for law enforcement to bring justice to those folks," Simmickson said. He and other county officials asked legislators to press for larger state support so local programs do not close.
County leaders framed the request as urgent for public safety and for preserving services that counties have supplemented with local funds. The sheriff also asked legislators to consider the ripple effects on rural counties, where programs serve multiple jurisdictions and replacement funding is hard to find.
Local officials encouraged contacting members of the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee and said decisions on the state budget in coming days will determine whether proposed increases survive the committee process.
The county provided legislators with resolutions and a packet of materials including the county—s requests and local program descriptions; county officials also offered to host site tours of the Justice Center and services.
County officials did not request a specific statutory change at the meeting; their ask was for larger appropriations in the state budget to cover the gap between DOJ recommendations and current executive-proposed funding.
