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Milwaukee Police outlines civilianization hires, says forensic staffing near full strength
Summary
Milwaukee Police Department forensic leaders told the FPC committee they have hired civilians and plan additional hires — including crime scene investigators, crime scene supervisors and forensic identification processors — and reported improved minimum shift staffing and plans for a forensic manager job and latent‑print civilianization.
Milwaukee Police Department forensics leaders updated the Fire and Police Commission Testing and Recruitment Committee on March 11 about civilianization and staffing progress in the forensics division.
"We hired on 11 crime scene investigators and 5 crime scene supervisors last year; of those 16 members, we currently have 15 still retained with the department," said Bridal Orlovsky, director of the forensics division. She said the hires collectively logged community service and supported department events and that the division recently extended offers to 14 additional crime scene investigators who will begin April 14 and enter an eight‑week academy training.
Orlovsky and Inspector Paul Lau said the department expects to be at or near full staffing for several forensic roles this year and outlined further civilian hires. The forensics division plans to hire four additional forensic identification processors to reach a total of six civilian processors; those staffers will handle booking-review duties, documentation of tattoos and booking photos, and timely submission of paperwork to the state. Orlovsky said the division also expects to recommend promotions for roughly half of last year's crime scene investigator hires to a level 2 classification to support the in‑house evidence lab.
Committee members asked about sworn staffing and response times. MPD staff said there are roughly 14 sworn forensic investigators remaining, about four sworn latent‑print examiners, one sworn evidence-management officer and one sworn sergeant (identified as Kristen Reeg) assigned to forensics; staff said two sworn retirements are expected in July. Orlovsky said minimum forensic shift staffing is now four personnel per shift "unless there's any exigent reasons why we would not," and that minimum has doubled compared with last year.
Staff also said the department submitted a forensics manager job description (a civilian, lieutenant‑level position) to human resources and the budget office and requested a market study for latent‑print civilianization to allow civilian backfilling of those duties.
Committee members asked for numeric response-time data and shift‑level staffing breakdowns; Orlovsky said anecdotal reports indicate response times have improved and staff will try to provide concrete numbers for a future meeting. No formal committee action was taken; staff said they will return with further updates.
