MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The Milwaukee Police Association is supporting the potential deployment of the National Guard to help address the city's crime issues, citing a severe staffing shortage of nearly 300 officers.

"I welcome the National Guard in Milwaukee, but the thing is, we don't have to go there. We don't have to do that if the mayor would just do the right thing," Alex Ayala, Milwaukee Police Association president, said.

The debate over National Guard deployment intensified after Vice President J.D. Vance said the federal troops could be sent to Milwaukee upon request . Mayor Cavalier Johnson has firmly opposed the idea, calling it "unneeded and inappropriate."

Police union cites safety concerns

Ayala said the department's staffing crisis has created safety issues for both officer

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