Studies show police in schools don’t make them safer

In June of 2023, the Wisconsin Legislature passed Act 12 requiring that Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) place 25 school resource officers (SRO) in its schools by the fall of 2023. That didn’t happen. 

On the surface, it appears that the fight between MPS and the city is over which governmental body will pay for the SROs, with Mayor Cavalier Johnson contending MPS should foot most of the costs, as Urban Milwaukee has reported. Act 12 provided no direct funds to support police officers at MPS, nor state any penalties if the school district did not comply with the mandate. But Republican legislators have threatened to cut state funding for MPS if SROs are not hired...