MPS school resource officer requirement, district in talks with city

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Public Schools said Thursday it's inching closer toward a deal with police to fulfill a school resource officer requirement.

Act 12, a shared revenue bill that Wisconsin lawmakers signed in 2023, required MPS to hire 25 school resource officers by 2024. Now, almost nine months later, pressure is building for the state's largest school district to comply.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

MPD officers were pulled from MPS schools in 2016 but patrolled school grounds until 2020. The school district said it has conducted site visits to Georgia and Washington, D.C. as part of a plan to redefine the role and improve the relationship between students and law enforcement.

Interim MPS Superintendent Eduardo Galvan said a "memorandum of understanding" is in the works with the city.

MPS Administration Building

"As of last week, a draft of the MOU was returned to the city attorney’s office for final consideration," he said. "Once the city attorney’s office has reviewed the MOU…and has no requested revisions, all entities will be in position to discuss implementation."

Galvan did not give a timeline for when resource officers will be placed in schools, nor did he say how much it would cost. However, he did say that meetings are already scheduled with the city.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.

"We are ready for whatever the outcome is," MPD Chief Jeffrey Norman said. "I know there is a lot of work within the board, but we have always been at the table during the discussions, but we can’t force ourselves upon any of the schools. You got to ask us in."

MPD statement:

The Milwaukee Police Department has been in communication with Milwaukee Public Schools on fulfilling the school resource officer requirement in a manner that best meets the needs of our community. MPD anticipates a collaborative positive partnership with MPS and its students.