Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
MPD codifies citation rules: supervisors to review some second 'operating without license' cases; reckless‑driving enforcement clarified
Summary
The Fire and Police Commission communicated changes to Milwaukee Police Department standard operating procedures that clarify how officers should charge certain traffic violations; the committee placed the policy changes on file.
The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission notified the Public Safety and Health Committee on Jan. 30 of recent Milwaukee Police Department standard operating procedure (SOP) changes that affect citation practices for driving offenses and other administrative items; the committee placed the communication on file.
The substantive SOP changes communicated to the committee included:
- Clarifying when officers must issue "operating without an operator's license" versus "operating after suspension or revocation". The SOP instructs officers to issue "operating without an operator's license" when a person's record shows they never held a valid license, rather than an "operating while suspended" charge that would imply a prior valid license that was later suspended.
- For second or subsequent operating‑without‑a‑license incidents, the SOP directs officers to refer those cases to the district attorney as criminal traffic matters in the normal course; it allows a supervisor to approve issuing a municipal citation instead based on the totality of circumstances. The committee asked MPD to track how often supervisors approve municipal citations instead of DA referrals.
- Reckless driving: the SOP requires officers who observe what they can prove to be reckless driving under state statute to issue a reckless‑driving citation rather than a lesser offense. The policy also introduces an internal "reckless driving envelope" to route documentation and evidence to the district attorney to ensure consistent charging and that packets are not lost in transmission.
Other, non‑controversial administrative changes that the FPC communicated included updates to the police aid program manual; an administrative update to marine/harbor patrol procedures to comply with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources policy; and technical updates to SOPs on use of tire‑deflation devices and victim/witness rights and assistance.
MPD and FPC context Leon Todd, executive director of the Fire and Police Commission, described the police‑aid manual updates as intended to broaden training and assignments for police aids so they gain experience across department work locations. Heather Huff, MPD chief of staff, said Collins‑related reporting and training obligations have increased on‑shift report writing and review of body‑worn camera footage, which reduces proactive street time for officers; she suggested the committee could revisit parts of the Collins requirements if the committee wished to explore targeted relief for documentation burdens.
Committee action Alderman Westmoreland moved to place the FPC communication and the SOP changes on file; the committee recorded no objections and the item was ordered placed on file.
Why this matters The citation procedure clarifications change how officers document and charge common driving offenses. The supervisor‑approval path for some second‑offense operating‑without‑license cases creates a discrete tracking point the committee asked MPD to monitor. The reckless‑driving direction responds to council concerns about enforcement of dangerous driving and ensures the district attorney receives consistent evidence packets for potential criminal charges.
