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Council approves business-funded pilot to pay police overtime for Douglas Avenue traffic enforcement over police and legal objections
Summary
After extensive debate about equity, precedent and legal risk, the council accepted roughly $32,500 from the Douglas Avenue Business Improvement District to fund approximately 340 hours of targeted police overtime for speed and reckless‑driving enforcement; the police chief and city attorney urged denial.
The Racine Common Council approved a contested amendment to accept business improvement district (BID) funds to pay for targeted police overtime on the three‑mile Douglas Avenue corridor, despite objections from the police chief and the city attorney about precedent and potential legal risk.
The Douglas Avenue BID offered about $32,500 to fund roughly 340 hours of overtime to direct additional speed and traffic enforcement along Douglas Avenue from State Street to 3 Mile Road. Supporters, including the alder who authored the request, framed the proposal as a narrowly targeted, paid pilot to reduce reckless driving and loud modified vehicles in an area that council members described as saturated with high‑speed incidents.
Alderman…
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