Milwaukee Public Schools votes to end contract with Milwaukee Police Department

MILWAUKEE — In a vote Thursday night, the Milwaukee Public School board voted to end their contract with the Milwaukee Police Department.

The $478,000 yearly contract allowed for the schools to have up to six officers available to respond to incidents on school grounds. It’s worth noting that MPS removed MPD officers from being in schools back in 2016.

Protesters were asking that that money go towards helping students in other ways.

Students and parents were also protesting because they were concerned about MPS leaders’ willingness to call the police when something happened. More than 800 people either called in to speak or sent in a letter to the school board’s virtual meeting, overwhelmingly suppoting the decision to end the contracts.

In addition to disbanding MPD contracts, the school district will also stop paying any contracts that would use technology in a discriminatory or criminalizing manner, including social media monitoring, facial recognition and metal detectors.