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Calls are growing for changes in the way we decide whether to bring charges against police officers.  

That's after grand jury decisions not to indict officers in Ferguson, Missouri, and on Staten Island in New York.   

Long before those incidents, lawmakers in Wisconsin took action on this front. This spring, they required police departments to bring in independent investigators in cases with an officer-involved death.  

In most states, prosecutors decide whether to bring charges, or to nudge a grand jury to do so.  But prosecutors work very closely with police, and critics say that's a conflict of interest.   

MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Wisconsin State Rep. Garey Bies, who introduced the bill.

Calls are growing for changes in the way we decide whether to bring charges against police officers.

Calls are growing for changes to the way we decide whether or not to bring charges against police officers.  That's after grand jury decisions not to indict officers in Ferguson, Missouri and on Staten Island in New York.   Long before those incidents, lawmakers in Wisconsin took action on this front.  This spring, they required police departments to bring in independent investigators in cases of an officer-involved death.  In most states, prosecutors decide whether to bring charges, or to nudge a grand jury to do so.  But prosecutors work very closely with police, and critics say that's a conflict of interest.   MPR's Cathy Wurze spoke with Wisconsin State Rep. Garey Bies who introduced the bill.

Investigation of police handled differently in Wisconsin

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