Following a recent ruling, the City of Milwaukee has been held in contempt after failing to meet a court-imposed deadline to reintroduce school resource officers (SROs) into Milwaukee Public Schools. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Borowski has slapped the city with a $1,000 per day fine starting today, reinforcing the court's demand for action, according to a report from WISN. The fine is based on Wisconsin statute 780.5.04, which imposes daily penalties for non-compliance and highlights the court’s urgency in having SROs in schools.
Despite the court's decree, compliance has been sluggish, as documents filed by the city articulate a complication: the mandate to station officers today is legally unfeasible. City Attorney Evan Goyke, in a letter to the judge, indicated that the job listing for SROs is live, but the required training by the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) must be concluded before they can interact with students, as reported by TMJ4. This training ensures SROs are properly equipped to engage with the school environment and student population ethically and effectively.
However, there's a temporary reprieve. Judge Borowski has agreed to stay the order until March 17, at the request of the city. This stay offers a brief window for the city to fulfill its obligations, as detailed by FOX6. The contempt order can be purged if the city provides a list of Common Council approved actions, assigns officers to schools and either completes or schedules their training by the new March deadline.
