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Committee accepts MPD roll-call clarifications on uniforms and affirms first-aid duties; fire department joins resolution
Summary
MPD said it voluntarily updated its SOP to discourage officers concealing identity, and the committee accepted roll-call clarifications that affirm MPD and Fire Department responsibilities to render first aid. The committee placed the SOP files on file where the department had already acted and recommended a symbolic resolution supporting first aid adoption.
Milwaukee ' The committee heard two related items about police operating procedures and emergency medical response. Sponsors and MPD said the department made voluntary changes to SOP 3-40 (uniforms, equipment and appearance) to discourage officers from masking identity except where necessary; the committee placed that file on file after discussion.
Sponsor Alderman Jocasta Zamaripa said the amendment was driven by reports of masked federal officers operating in cities nationwide and her goal was to ensure local officers are "clearly distinguishable, transparent, and unmasked." "My goal with this modification was to be able to assure the public that our MPD officers are in fact the exact opposite of a federal ICE agent," she said. (Jocasta Zamaripa, sponsor.)
On a related item, Zamaripa introduced a substitute addressing SOP 172 (sick and injured persons) to underscore a long-standing duty to attempt first aid to injured people regardless of who caused the injury. Chief Norman told the committee MPD issued a roll-call memo clarifying the duty and that, for the second file, an SOP change was unnecessary because SOP 172 already covers the duty; the chief agreed to the clarifying memo and the committee accepted that approach.
Fire Chief Aaron Lipsky testified in support of a symbolic resolution affirming that the Milwaukee Fire Department renders care without regard to immigration status and that withholding care is not department practice. "Your Milwaukee Fire Department does not pick winners and losers. We will help anybody who is in need," he said. (Aaron Lipsky, Chief, Milwaukee Fire Department.)
The committee placed the modification files on file (no further action needed because MPD had already acted) and recommended adoption of the symbolic resolution praising first-aid practice and interdepartmental cooperation.
Why this matters: The measures underscore that MPD and the fire department expect personnel to provide aid and to be as transparent as operationally feasible. The committee sought to ensure departmental memos and SOP language are durable and publicly understood.
What's next: The committee placed the SOP files on file and recommended the symbolic resolution for adoption.
