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.
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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.
More: What do police do at MPS? What records show about new program
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com.
MILWAUKEE — This Fourth of July marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which created the United States of America.
In honor of that milestone, the Milwaukee County Historical Society is launching a new exhibit, “We the People: Milwaukee Stories of Immigration, Citizenship, and Community,” on June 12.
What You Need To Know
The exhibit showcases the real people who came from all over the world for a better life. The people, who over time, helped shape our country into what it is today
The experience comes with audio recordings from people who immigrated to Milwaukee, and their children
A big part of Milwaukee’s history is the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the Midwest in the mid-20th century. That is documented in We the People
Overall, the team at the Milwaukee Historical Society hopes the new exhibit reminds people of our similarities and shared home, as our nation turns 250
“This is the perfect opportunity to maybe tell a story that isn’t always told,” said Ben Barbera, executive director and president of the Milwaukee County Historical Society. “We can’t necessarily talk about the founding fathers. There weren’t many Revolutionary War battles here. But we can tell a story that is essential to the country.”
That story showcases the real people who came from all over the world for a better life — people who, over time, helped shape the country into what it is today.
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The story starts with those who were here first.
“The Indigenous populations of Wisconsin, because without them being pushed out and forced out, we wouldn’t have immigration come to this space,” said Olivia Hoff, community programs manager for the Milwaukee County Historical Society.
The exhibit features photos and artifacts dating back centuries.
“This is a sewing kit that was made from clothing that was worn by people who came here from England,” said Janean VanBeckum, curator of the exhibit. “They were Puritans being persecuted. They came in, settled on the East Coast, and then their family moved here.”
Families from Germany, Poland, Italy and Ireland followed. Decades later, there was a surge of immigrants from Latin America, Asia and parts of Africa.
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“When you start the exhibit, you get an identification card of an immigrant,” said VanBeckum. “It’s based on real immigrants, but not any particular person, and you can go around and choose your own adventure to kind of see what happens to your immigrant’s life as they move through the process of coming here and either becoming a citizen or not becoming a citizen.”
The experience includes audio recordings from people who immigrated to Milwaukee and their children.
“This is the humanistic story,” said Hoff. “It really generates empathy too because you are hearing it from the people themselves.”
The exhibit also highlights people who came to the Milwaukee area from within the United States. A major part of Milwaukee’s history is the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the Midwest in the mid-20th century. That history is documented in “We the People.”
Overall, the team at the Milwaukee County Historical Society hopes the new exhibit reminds people of their similarities and shared home as the nation turns 250.
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“People can realize that everyone has a similar scope of their life and that we all may be struggling to fight some of the same battles, and that by working together, creating a civic discourse, we can be less divided.”
Editor’s note: Post From Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
By Bernard Rahming, Forward Scholars
Forward Scholars is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit providing one-on-one reading tutoring to K–3rd grade students who are not yet reading on grade level. With the support of more than 300 volunteers and a community of generous donors and partners, we empower students to build the skills and confidence to succeed.
Sips for Scholars is our summer fundraiser and celebration of student growth. Join us for an evening of connection, inspiration, and community as we celebrate the impact of literacy and invest in brighter futures for our students.
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Date: June 30, 2026 Time: 5-7 p.m. Location: Broken Bat Brewing (135 E Pittsburgh Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53204 ) Tickets: $50 Per Person (Advance tickets close June 23)
Get your tickets!
Everyone is welcome. We’d love for you to join us!
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MILWAUKEE — With their most effective starter on the mound and the wind at their sails from a 19-run, 25-hit outburst at Coors Field, the Giants jumped out to an early lead.
And, poof, like most of San Francisco’s hopes this season, it was gone.
About as soon as Matt Chapman’s two-run homer cleared the wall and the outstretched glove of Jackson Chourio in the top of the second, Landen Roupp began to give the lead right back.
The Brewers pounced on Roupp for seven runs in the bottom half of the inning and only added on from there while running away with the first game of their series, 16-2.
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Matt Chapman’s two-run blast in the first inning was the lone Giants bright spot in an absolute drubbing by the Brewers Monday night Tannen Maury/UPI/Shutterstock
It was such a drubbing that it ended with a position player called up before the game, Buddy Kennedy, lobbing pitches while Daniel Susac, a catcher with no prior experience besides two minor-league games at first base, played third.
Roupp struck out Jake Bauers to bring a merciful end to the second inning, nine batters after the Brewers left fielder started with a leadoff walk. Sal Frelick and Chourio both jumped on first-pitch fastballs for explosive extra-base hits, Chapman wasn’t able to field a bunt from speedy No. 9 hitter David Hamilton, and Roupp issued another walk to Christian Yelich.
The biggest hit of the inning came off the bat of Bryce Turang and gave newly called up Jonah Cox his first opportunity to show off his defense that has been called the best in the organization. Cox gave chase but instead went crashing into the wall in left-center field as the ball careened away and Turang cruised into third for a bases-clearing triple.
Turang jogged home on a sacrifice fly from the next batter for the Brewers’ seventh run.
The Brewers added another run off Roupp the next inning and eight more against the Giants’ bullpen (plus Kennedy). But for all intents and purposes, they were already buried.
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Jackson Chourio and the Brewers offense erupted for 16 runs on 18 hits Monday night. AP Photo/Aaron Gash
What it means
Whatever good feelings the Giants brought with them on the plane after their rout to end their series against the Rockies were gone by end of the second inning.
It has been hard enough for the Giants to pull ahead; staying in front has been just as much of a challenge.
The Giants have held a lead in only 48 of their 60 games, the fewest in the majors, and are one of only five teams to relinquish the advantage more often than not, falling to 23-25.
The culprit of late had been the bullpen, but in this one, there was nobody to blame but Roupp, who struggled to find the strike zone and was hit hard when he did.
Roupp exhausted 96 pitches to complete four innings, only half for strikes, and recorded season-highs in bases on balls (four) and earned runs (eight).
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The outing raised his ERA almost a full run, to 4.22 from a rotation-leading 3.30.
Landen Roupp now sports a 4.22 ERA after giving up eight runs in 4.0 innings Monday night. Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Who’s hot
Jung Hoo Lee recorded the most hits by a Giant in a single series since 2017 by going 11-for-15 over their three games in Colorado and picked up right where he left off.
Lee’s second-inning single extended his hitting streak to nine games and set the table for Chapman’s two-run shot that gave the Giants the briefest of 2-0 leads.
Bryce Eldridge, getting a rare start in the field, made a nice play to start a 3-6 double play, going to the ground to snag a hard hopper from Frelick, tagging first and getting back to his feet to make an accurate throw to Willy Adames at second base.
Eldridge also laced a double — his sixth in four games on the road trip — that left the bat at 107.7 mph, the Giants’ hardest-hit ball of the game.
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Giants catcher Eric Haase could do nothing but look on after the Giants lost 16-2 Monday night. Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Who’s not
After posting a 5.21 ERA in May that ranked as the fourth-worst in the majors, the Giants’ starting rotation didn’t start the month of June on any better note.
As a staff, San Francisco has surrendered at least six runs in six of its past seven games and all four to begin the road trip, albeit with the caveat that the first three were played at Coors Field.
Up next
Salt in the wound: As the Giants try to get back on track, they will be opposed by their former top prospect, Kyle Harrison, who has blossomed into an NL Cy Young contender since being dealt to the Red Sox for Rafael Devers and again this offseason to Milwaukee.
The Giants will have another homegrown arm, Trevor McDonald, on the mound.
