'We are committed': MPS working with city attorney, MPD on plan for school resource officers after missing deadline

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Some Wisconsin lawmakers are criticizing Milwaukee Public Schools, as school resource officers won't be in buildings by the start of the school year.

Act 12, the shared revenue bill signed by state legislature in 2023, required MPS to bring back SROs, after they were eliminated in 2020.

25 school resource officers were supposed to be in place by Jan. 1, 2024.

That never happened. Now, with school starting in just a few days, a timeline isn't in place, but MPS administration says it's in the works.

"We are committed to reaching a consensus that will facilitate the successful implementation of Act 12, in a manner that is sustainable and mutually beneficial to both Milwaukee Public Schools and the Milwaukee Police Department," Interim Superintendent Eduardo Galvan said at Thursday's school board of directors meeting.

He said the administration has been working with the board and Milwaukee City Attorney's Office to create a memorandum of understanding between MPS and the Milwaukee Police Department.

"The current draft of the MOU focuses exclusively on procedural matters, such as responsibilities, selection process, supervision, reporting terms, and training," Galvan explained.

That document will define their relationship as they work toward implementing school resource officers.

"We have initiated communications with the office of the police chief and mayor to find an agreement that will be acceptable to all parties involved," Galvan said.

He did not provide a timeline for the plan.

MPS Board Director Henry Leonard told CBS 58 that he was underwhelmed by the update.

"I was obviously hoping at some point we'd have a little more information, a little more detail. Obviously, there's nothing to really report," Leonard said after the meeting Thursday.

"These jobs haven't been posted, there's no way they're going to be ready for the school year," said State Senator John Jagler.

Jagler wrote a letter to MPS last week, noting his concerns that the SRO plan hasn't been established.

"The bottom line is they're still eight months late on doing what was agreed upon by everybody," Jagler said. "This is a bill that was negotiated by the city of Milwaukee, negotiated with Democrats, Republicans, signed by the Governor, and it shouldn't have been new to them."

As part of the process, Leonard said he and other board members have done site tours of other SRO programs, including some in Georgia.

"I think it's better we be careful with this," Leonard said. "We do this the right way to make sure that we're stepping into something and giving our community and our students the best plan forward."

The interim superintendent said several meetings are scheduled in the coming weeks, focused on costs and the overall implementation process.

Milwaukee Police Department provided this statement to CBS 58:

"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."