School resource officers in MPS; Common Council passes plan, 10-4 vote
Common Council approves SRO agreement
The Milwaukee Common Council voted to approve the school resource officer agreement with Milwaukee Public Schools.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Common Council on Tuesday, March 4, voted to approve the SRO agreement with MPS. The file was passed in a 10-4 vote.
This means the Common Council agrees to split the cost of hiring and training officers with MPS. The next step is making sure these officers start work for the district by March 15. Otherwise, the city risks paying a fine of $1,000 a day.
Milwaukee Public Schools also voted to approve the agreement on Tuesday.
SROs in Milwaukee Public Schools
What we know:
A Wisconsin law, Act 12, required Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) to have 25 school resource officers in place by January 2024. Later that same year, the city and MPS were sued, and then a judge stepped in with deadlines that were also missed.
The deal says the SROs are not to appear to be speaking on behalf of the district, and they are to wear the MPD uniform.
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Remember, these are different governmental bodies with different budgets – the city and the school district. The agreement formalizes what the judge ordered, that both governments will pay half the cost for the 25 school resource officers.
Watch Common Council vote
SRO staffing locations
What we know:
One key question that has been asked over and over: Where will officers be stationed?
The proposed deal says SROS "will be assigned to specific regions throughout the district to ensure coverage of MPS schools and to allow the officers to collaborate regularly at schools agreed upon between MPS and MPD."
Milwaukee school resource officers; city leaders on cusp of deal
The City of Milwaukee is on the cusp of approving a school resource officer (SRO) deal – and it is 14 months later than Wisconsin law required.
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The next steps
What's next:
Training is already scheduled for MPS the week of March 10 – and the deal says some MPS security supervisors are to go through the same training.
The city and MPS were facing that March 15 deadline, as the date of the next court hearing is set for March 17.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson also has to approve and sign the agreement.
The Source: The information in this post was produced with updates from a Common Council committee, its key players as well as previous FOX6 News coverage.