Click here to listen to Newsradio 620 WTMJ's Vicky Hollowell report on the plan Alderman Michael McGee, Jr. is pushing for from behind bars.

He may be in jail awaiting trial on a slew of federal and state charges, but Milwaukee Alderman Michael McGee, Jr. has a proposal to combat crime in the city.

The embattled alderman wants to transfer $500,000 from the Milwaukee Police Department and use it to fund unarmed civilian patrols.  According to McGee's office, the proposed amendment to the 2008 city budget would reduce MPD's salary account and establish a special purpose account which aldermen could use for requests of funds.

Click Here to read the news release from McGee

For such an amendment to be included in the budget, a member of the Common Council's Finance & Personnel Committee would have to propose it during Thursday's meeting.  If it is not offered, McGee will be able to re-submit his proposal 24 hours before the Council's budget adoption meeting on November 9th. 

As for the irony of a crime prevention proposal from a jail cell?

"I was a little surprised when I saw the press release," 8th District Alderman Bob Donovan said with a laugh.  "Mr. McGee is certainly an interesting individual and while I'm surprised on the one hand I guess I'm not completely surprised on the other."

McGee is in the Dodge County Correctional Institution, waiting to be tried on federal bribery and extortion charges as well as on state charges of vote-buying and conspiracy to commit substantial battery. 

At a state motions hearing Tuesday, McGee's co-defendant Dimitrius I. Jackson accepted a plea deal in which he will testify for the prosecution.  The alderman's trial was also postponed until March 3rd.