Common Council approves MOU placing 25 school resource officers in MPS after heated debate; 10–4 vote

The Milwaukee Common Council voted 10–4 to adopt a memorandum of understanding with Milwaukee Public Schools to place 25 school resource officers in city schools, a move council members said is required by state law and a court order.

The measure, recorded as common council file number 241707, passed after more than an hour of debate about funding, training and alternatives. Alderman Deandre Jackson presented the committee report and the MOU itself; Alderman Marina Dimitrijevich introduced, then withdrew, an amendment that would have expressed the council’s intent to appropriate any unanticipated MPS revenue from the agreement to Milwaukee Recreation for expanded youth programming including twilight center hours.

Dimitrijevich said the officers would not be new hires and that the $1,500,000 price tag referenced in discussion would be shared between the city and MPS: “Where are these 25 officers coming from?…