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Milwaukee, WI
MPD drone program expansion planned; transparency concern rises
MILWAUKEE – Fighting crime with eyes in the skies – the Milwaukee Police Department is looking to enhance public safety with drones.
What we know:
MPD is looking to expand its airborne assessment team.
Sgt. Christopher Boss said the team officially launched just before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last summer.
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He and another officer operate exterior and interior drones as seen in this video. They’re used for crime scene management, crash reconstruction and missing persons cases, as well as keeping a watchful eye on protests and events.
“This is a tool we can use to make sure we’re all safer,” Boss said. “Several weeks ago there was an incident, and it was the recording from this particular incident that prompted the district attorney to issue a certain type of charge.”
Dig deeper:
MPD has six drones, but they want more. They want each district to be covered by one drone operator.
They want to use $250,000 of federal forfeiture funds to expand its two-person drone pilot program.
“We’re hoping to train up to 18 pilots, 14 deployed at the districts and four deployed from specialized patrols,” Boss said. “Prior to the application, every pilot will need to be certified by the FAA as a remote pilot.”
The particular models are valued at $15,000 each.
MPD said, in some capacity, the drones will serve as body cameras in the sky, with officers now frequently requesting assistance following suspects in high-speed chases.
“The majority of our patrol-led calls to date have involved vehicle pursuits,” Boss said. “The end of the vehicle pursuit, reckless vehicle or someone wanted for some sort of crime, like an armed robbery, leads us on a pursuit and at the end of the pursuit, everybody runs.”
The other side:
However, the purchase doesn’t come without some concerns. The Milwaukee Fire & Police Commission discussed it in April.
“I think the public is like, ‘Big Brother is watching,’” said chair Miriam Horwitz.
“The public, also me, I have a lot of worries,” vice chair Bree Spencer said. “I get it for water rescue. I’m very worried for things like protests.”
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What’s next:
Boss said the drone will not have facial recognition.
They hope to have the drone team fully operational by the end of the year. Prior to doing so, the department said it will launch a transparency dashboard for people to see their flight paths.
The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department and Milwaukee Fire & Police Commission provided information for this report.
PLOVER, Wis. (WBAY) – Police in the western part of the state are spreading the word after someone stole over $95,000 worth of Milwaukee-brand tools. Police are concerned that they’ll be sold online or sold outside the state.
Milwaukee-brand tools were stolen from a trailer at a solar farm in Plover.
Police say there were 130 items, including more than 40 half-inch impact guns, multiple wire cutters, grease guns, 80 batteries, and a couple of small generators.
Investigators are warning that buyers who purchase stolen items can have them seized and could lose their money or even face criminal charges if they knew the property was stolen.
Copyright 2026 WBAY. All rights reserved.
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Severe storms possible Wednesday
MILWAUKEE – UPDATE: Milwaukee police said Ciara Crump, reported critically missing on Wednesday, has been found safe. The original missing person notice is available below.
The Milwaukee Police Department needs help to find 29-year-old Ciara Crump, a critically missing woman who was last seen near 80th and Marion just after 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 17.
What they’re saying:
Police described Crump as 5 feet, 2 inches tall and 180 pounds with brown eyes and long brown hair. She was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants while carrying a black bag.
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What you can do:
Anyone with information on Crump’s whereabouts is asked to call Milwaukee Police District 7 at 414-935-7272.
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