MPS school resource officer deadline; judge erases $1K a day fine

MILWAUKEE - The court-ordered deadline for school resource officers (SROs) to return to Milwaukee Public Schools has come and gone – and a Milwaukee County judge said on Monday, March 17 that the district and police department have complied with court orders to get SROs in schools. 

That word came 14-and-a-half months late. Even so, the judge erased a $1,000 a day fine against the city.

What we know:

The fines were erased after the city had school resource officers trained last week. On Monday, 25 officers were in schools. Court records obtained by FOX6 News revealed 11 schools getting the 25 officers. 

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FOX6 News spotted Milwaukee Police Department squads outside of several schools. Officers there were not for an emergency, but for their new assignments as SROs.

School resource officers at Milwaukee Public Schools

What they're saying:

"They were walking around. They didn’t have an office. They were like in the hallways, in the lunchrooms, and when you first enter into the buildings. They were there by the metal detectors and stuff," said Morgan Thomas, a Riverside senior. "In the lunchroom, they were talking to some of the students, interacting with them, but for the most part, they were pretty much chill, not doing too much."

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"Candidly, this only happened, frankly, because of the immense pressure I put on the city," said Judge David Borowski on Monday. 

"We're going to start with the 25. That's been what what's been required. I know that there is an evaluation that will be required. So I'm sure that that will be tweaked in collaboration with MPD and the city in order to make sure that our students are safe," said MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius. 

The National Association of School Resource Officers told FOX6 News it has trained 38 officers, each of whom has completed 40 hours of SRO training as of Friday. Court records show 31 were regular officers and seven were supervisors. 

Big picture view:

A state law, passed in 2023, helped municipalities with their budgets. For Milwaukee, it required at least 25 school resource officers to return to MPS by Jan. 1, 2024. When that didn't happen, a parent sued.

School resource officers at Milwaukee Public Schools