City of Wausau Policing Task Force Public Inquiry and Decision-Making Process

This project entails a two-phased public inquiry and decision-making process to support the Wausau Policing Task Force’s mission to provide community-led safety recommendations to the public, the Wausau City Council, and the Wausau Police Department about how best to protect the human health, safety, and general welfare of Wausau residents and visitors who come into contact with the law enforcement system. Phase 1 of this project provides multiple opportunities for members of the Wausau community to express their concerns and ideas related to public safety, procedurally-just policing, and systemic racism based on their current perceptions, attitudes, and lived experiences. This includes multiple methods of sharing input through public listening sessions (including an accompanying open-ended questionnaire); a representative community survey; and in-depth focus groups focusing on targeted sub-groups. This information will provide a foundation for the city to consider Phase 2, which is based on a deliberative inquiry model. The purpose of Phase 2 is to provide a holistic citizen-centered dialogue process that allows community participation in decision-making.