Milwaukee school resource officers; new data on calls, arrests
Milwaukee school resource officer call, arrest data
There is new data on Milwaukee Police Department school resource officers as the department and MPS prepare for a second full year with them back.
MILWAUKEE - Kids are starting to get ready to go back to school, and so are Milwaukee police officers. There is new data as school resource officers prepare for a second full year in the district.
The backstory:
Officers were pulled from Milwaukee Public Schools in 2016, but they still patrolled school grounds until 2020. In 2023, Act 12 put more money in cities' pockets through sales taxes, and it also required police officers back in Milwaukee Public Schools.
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How many SROs are there?
By the numbers:
New details are now known about how those officers were used and what the Milwaukee Police Department is doing ahead of the coming school year.
In the 2025-26 school year, MPD had 33 certified school resource officers – or SROs. A minimum of 25 were staffed at 12 MPS high schools each day, which serve about 9,000 students. Additional SROs floated to other schools as needed, police said.
Milwaukee police squad parked outside Washington High School
How many service calls were there?
By the numbers:
Also in the last school year, the department said there were 689 SRO calls for service. Nearly half of those calls – 46% – were for "trouble" calls. MPD said it issued 70 citations, making up less than 1% of the student body covered by the SROs. The department added that citations are targeted and not widespread.
"The principals will normally request the citation. It’s not the officer who makes the decision to give out the citation. It comes from the school administration or whoever is in charge at that moment," MPD Capt. Vynetta Norberg said during a public safety and health committee meeting Thursday.
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How many arrests were made?
By the numbers:
During the school year, SROs made 31 arrests. MPD said disorderly conduct was the largest arrest category, and the largest portion of arrests were related to crimes outside of school.
Ald. Sharlen Moore: "But it involves a student?"
Norberg: "It involves a student that more than likely attends the school."
MPD said there were six times officers used force involving students, some during fights and to make arrests, or when pepper spray was used.
What's next:
Looking ahead, MPD looks to increase its engagement with students and staff, and improve parent participation and outreach.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bill Miston and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Milwaukee Police Department, Capt. Vynetta Norberg and Milwaukee Alderwoman Sharlen Moore.