Civilian Police Officers Might Improve Service

"Non-violent crimes don't always need a police officer," said Ald. Hines, "and that is why I'm supporting a study to determine if a Community Service Officer program could free highly trained, sworn officers for more serious police calls and provide faster response times for residents' calls for service."

Community service officers are already at work in numerous police departments around the country. They respond to non-emergency calls when there is no threat of physical confrontation and no crime in progress. These could include taking burglary, missing person, vandalism and non-injury traffic accident reports and performing school crossing and traffic control duties. The Common Council has established a task force to look into whether the community service officer program is appropriate for Milwaukee and to investigate other staffing models for responding to calls for service.

The task force report is expected in May 2006. Ald. Hines and Ald. Terry L. Witkowski sponsored a resolution in the 2006 city budget in which $1.5 million was set aside from the police overtime account to a special purpose account in the event a community service officer program is established. "This civilian position would not carry a gun," said Ald. Hines, "but perform a vital day-to-day role by allowing sworn police to remain focused on handling the more hazardous law enforcement duties."