Conflicting statements released on MPS school resource officer plan
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- School Resource Officers (SROs) have yet to return to Milwaukee Public Schools and conflicting statements have been released on where things stand.
Officials at MPS released a statement Friday saying an agreement has been made with Milwaukee Police regarding implementation of the SRO program, but shortly after, the City Attorney said no agreement has been completed.
"The City of Milwaukee has been doing our part to hold up our end of the bargain," said Mayor Cavalier Johnson Friday morning.
Mayor Johnson is urging MPS to reinstate the SRO program which is required according to Wisconsin's shared revenue law or Act 12, which passed last year. The district is required to have at least 25 officers and MPS has faced criticism for the delay when the Jan. 1st deadline passed.
"We've been working with our partners over at Milwaukee Public Schools in order to pick up the pace and make sure that happens. I think it's a priority," Mayor Johnson told CBS 58.
In a statement Friday, MPS said the district is ready to implement an SRO program as soon as officers are available. "MPS has taken Act 12 very seriously from the beginning, engaging with city partners to build a sustainable SRO program," the statement reads.
The statement went on to say that this week the district made an agreement. "This week, MPD and MPS agreed upon the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This agreement facilitates the implementation of the SRO program, which is a result of 2023 Act 12. Act 12 was negotiated by the City of Milwaukee and included a provision to levy a sales tax to direct funding to increase public safety personnel in the city of Milwaukee. The new sales tax went into effect on January 1, 2024. MPS is not a recipient of these funds," the statement said.
Shortly after that statement was released however, City Attorney Evan Goyke said while there has been meaningful progress, right now no agreement has been completed.
MPS has been without SROs since it voted to remove them in 2020 following protests. The district has not provided a solid timeline on when officers will return to schools, but Mayor Johnson sold CBS 58 it needs to happen sooner than later.
"The deadline would be prescribed in the law… I want it done as soon as possible and that's what I'm pushing MPS to do right now is continue to work with us, continue to work with the Milwaukee Police Department to make sure it happens as soon as we possibly can have it happen," said Mayor Johnson.