Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee school committee moves forward plan to narrow police role in schools
How police operate in Milwaukee schools appears set to change.
A Milwaukee School Board committee passed on Jan. 20 a resolution aimed at narrowing the types of situations that police officers can become involved in at district buildings. It comes 10 months after the program was brought into the city’s public schools, following a state law that forced the hand of officials.
The resolution compels Superintendent Brenda Cassellius to implement a district policy that reflects its asks, which broadly restricts police from intervening in non-criminal situations that more closely reflect school discipline issues, like rude or disruptive behavior or loitering in hallways.
A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review of the first three months of the program found police were at times responding to situations like that, along with others including fights between students. School resource officers issued 92 citations during that time.
“Without clear and strict guardrails, it’s easy for SROs to become the default response to all behavior challenges,” Missy Zombor, president of the board, said during remarks at the meeting.
The School Board’s Committee on Legislation, Rules and Policies moved the resolution forward to the full board for final passage on Jan. 22.
Under the resolution, police would be expected to stay out of the following situations: Rude or disruptive behavior, excessive noise, loitering in hallways or bathrooms, dress code violations, use of profane or lewd language, and possession of legal items prohibited by school policies.
It also would put into place reporting requirements for the program. That includes quarterly reports breaking down incidents by demographic information, issuances of citations and specific actions by school resource officers, including searches, seizures and restraints.
Before the meeting, a demonstration consisting of about 35 students and community members took place outside of the district office. In support of the resolution, they chanted mottos like “counselors not cops” and “up with education, down with intimidation.”
Many there later spoke in support of the resolution during the public comment of the committee meeting. That spanned over an hour with each speaker in support of the resolution.
Many students described feeling unsafe with officers in the schools and criticized the state law that mandated the program.
Students Brenette Tunney, Elijah Shorts and Anneliese Schultz told the Journal Sentinel they were in support of the resolution. Each is a member of Youth Empowered in the Struggle, a student group that advocated for the resolution.
Tunney, a student at Hamilton High School, described her school becoming a “scary place” since the program began.
“I’ve never seen them do something actually helpful in school at all,” she told the Journal Sentinel before the meeting.
Those comments come as police and some school officials have lauded the program publicly, saying it made the district safer and said officers have tried to be mentors or counselors to students.
Members of Voces de la Frontera, Milwaukee Turners and Black Leaders Organizing for Communities spoke in support of the resolution.
Krissie Fung worked with students to prepare for giving comments on the program and Zombor on crafting the resolution. She is a member of the Fire and Police Commission, the city’s oversight committee for the two department.
Fung said the resolution was about letting students “coexist with SROs in schools as safely as possible.”
“In my opinion, current gaps in policy and lack of transparency for students and parents are a liability,” Fung said.
The committee meeting came hours after hundreds of Milwaukee students walked out of class in protest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com.
MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred on early Sunday morning on the 4900 block of W. Capitol Drive that left one person injured.
An 18-year-old sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
TMJ4
The police is currently looking for an unknown suspect at this time.
Those with information regarding the shooting are encouraged to contact the Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360 or contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS or P3 Tips to remain anonymous.
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MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Police Department requested the public’s help to find 11-year-old Sir’Charles Bason, a critically missing boy who was last seen near Teutonia and Kiley at around 6:20 p.m. on Saturday, April 18.
Police described Bason as 4 feet, 5 inches tall with a slim build, brown eyes and black, low-cut hair. He was last seen wearing a gray jacket with green lines, dark-colored jeans, tan sandals and carrying gray Nike Jordan shoes.
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What you can do:
Anyone with information on Bason’s whereabouts is asked to call Milwaukee Police District 4 at 414-935-7242.
The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department released information.
MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man, previously named one of Wisconsin’s Most Wanted, has been sentenced to prison for shooting and killing his cousin in 2020.
In court
What we know:
A Milwaukee County jury found 39-year-old Brandon Gladney guilty of first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firm by a felon earlier this year.
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Judge Michelle Havas sentenced Gladney to 29 years in prison on Friday, April 17. He was granted credit for more than a year’s time served and further sentenced to 14 years of extended supervision.
Arrested in Arizona after years on the run, court records show Gladney has also been ordered to pay the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office more than $1,800 for extradition costs.
Homicide investigation
The backstory:
The shooting happened in May 2020. Investigators said Gladney was captured on video apparently arguing with the victim, his cousin, outside a Milwaukee convenience store near 21st and Meinecke.
“It’s all on video, and it’s devastating for that family,” the marshal on the case told FOX6 when Gladney was profiled on Wisconsin’s Most Wanted. “You have a family member that shot and killed another family member.”
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Prosecutors said Gladney walked away but then returned with a gun pointed directly at the victim and shot him. The victim died from his gunshot wounds at a nearby hospital. Multiple bullet casings were found at the scene.
Gladney went on the run for years. He was arrested in Arizona in January 2023, years after he was charged.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced information from the U.S. Marshals Service, Wisconsin Circuit Court and prior coverage.
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