FBI may close La Crosse office
LA CROSSE, Wis. — The Federal Bureau of Investigation may soon close three of its six offices in Wisconsin, including the office in La Crosse, and reassign agents to different cities, according to U.S. Senator Herb Kohl’s office.
The FBI is proposing to close the La Crosse, Wausau and Kenosha satellite offices. Agents in La Crosse would move to Eau Claire, Kenosha to Milwaukee and Wausau to another office within the state.
The FBI says the closues would lead to a “stronger and more effective FBI presence in Wisconsin,” a statement Senator Kohl questioned Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
“If these closures go through, the Western District of Wisconsin will lose half of its FBI offices and may have to make do with fewer agents,” Kohl said. “I have serious concerns about the ability of the remaining two offices to adequately support already underserved rural areas.”
Attorney General Holder says he has heard these concerns and agreed to work with Senator Kohl to make sure Wisconsin is not hurt by these proposed closures. He noted that this is a time of budget cuts, but that we must make sure that the FBI remains efficient and effective.
