MPD schedules state-mandated SRO training after judge threatens $1K-per-day fines

By Adam Rife

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — After weeks of uncertainty, we’re starting to get a clearer picture of when MPD officers could return to MPS schools.

On Thursday, Feb. 27, CBS 58 confirmed the Milwaukee Police Department has booked a state-mandated training session that will start March 10.

The National Association of School Resource Officers confirms it will send instructors to Milwaukee to conduct the training.

That 40-hour training course usually takes five days, which means the first school day officers could be fully trained is Monday, March 17.

But the movement comes after a lot of drama in court.

The city of Milwaukee was found in contempt of court for not meeting a Milwaukee County’s judge’s deadline to get school resource officers back at Milwaukee Public Schools.

Judge David Borowski ruled, “I’m finding the city of Milwaukee in contempt of my prior order. I’m fining them $1000 a day, starting today.”

But Judge Borowski also put those fines on hold to allow the city time to address the remaining holdups.

That gives them just two more weeks to get compliant with a state law that was supposed to go into effect 14 months ago.

The ruling came Thursday in what’s been a lengthy process.

Feb. 27 was the deadline set by Judge David Borowski for MPS and the city to — at a minimum — have officers enrolled in school resource officer training. But a motion was filed by the city seeking to delay that deadline, saying they don’t even plan on wrapping up the application process until March 3.

Thursday, Judge Borowski expressed frustration over the fact that while MPS has held emergency meetings within the last 10 days, working to hit his deadline, the city keeps trying to “run out the clock.”

In court Thursday, Borowski said, “I think, candidly, I’m being eminently reasonable.”

He said the city of Milwaukee, the police department, and the school district have had plenty of time to comply.

“The city and MPS had six months to figure out the training, which 25 officers are going into schools.”

As Borowski ruled the city and MPD have not moved fast enough to get officers in schools, he said, “That takes a lot of gall. That takes a lot of temerity. And that indicates to me a lack of compliance.”

The city had asked for a delay, in part because officers had not been trained yet.

In fact, they hadn’t been picked yet. As of the hearing, only 21 officers had volunteered for the 25 positions.

Clint Muche, the attorney representing the city of Milwaukee, explained, “That means that there will be others that will be volun-told.”

Borowski pressed the police department about its role in the delay, asking MPD Chief of Staff Heather Hough, “Why did you and Chief Norman not do this in 2023 after the law was passed?”

Hough claimed that because MPS wanted to be involved in the process, MPD could not move forward alone.

She said, “Because there was that involvement with another party, we felt we could not proceed without a signed contract.”

Borowski recommended, “You and the mayor or the police chief should be on the phone this afternoon to the school resource association.”

And that seems to have made a difference.

The National Association of School Resource Officers confirms it will send instructors to Milwaukee March 10 to conduct the weeklong training session.

Earlier we reported on an internal MPD memo that details the SRO application process:

Applications are open through Monday, March 3. The candidates that make the cut will interview with a panel. Recommendations will be made to Chief Norman, who will make the final selections. All of that should happen next week, if the officers are to start training by the 10th.

Meanwhile, in court and on camera, MPS argued it has done everything required of the district.

MPS Attorney Hanna Kolberg said after the hearing, “We followed the court’s orders and did those. It was a deliberate and active effort on MPS to be compliant with the state law.”

But to satisfy the court, Borowski also wants a list of names for the SROs and their schools, plus he wants proof the Milwaukee common council approved the SRO agreement.

The first of three common council approvals could come at a Friday meeting that starts at 9 a.m. the others could come at meetings scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

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