Patrick Tomlinson and Nikki Robinson were recently awarded a $575,000 settlement after suing the city of Milwaukee for sending heavily-armed police officers to search their home with guns drawn — despite knowing that it was an ongoing pattern of online harassment.
The post A ‘cyberstalking cult’ swatted this Milwaukee couple 55 times appeared first on WPR.
The ACLU of Wisconsin and the conservative Wisconsin Institute of Law Liberty are among the groups challenging police departments over the warrantless use of Automated License Plate Reader cameras.
The post ACLU Wisconsin sues over warrantless use of Flock cameras appeared first on WPR.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission said in a statement that it received a letter and the white powder enclosed in it was not hazardous, according to tests.
The post Letters with ‘suspicious substances’ sent to Wisconsin Election Commission, other offices nationwide appeared first on WPR.
The polling site at Madison's Wil-Mar community center during Wisconsin's 2026 spring election. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner
The Wisconsin Elections Commission voted Thursday to send a memo to clerks across the state with guidance for what they should do if local, state or federal law enforcement shows up at polling places.
WEC discussed the guidance as fears have risen across the country that President Donald Trump could send armed federal agents to polling places in an effort to intimidate voters.
The agency’s administrator, Meagan Wolfe, said at the commission’s Thursday morning meeting that “we don’t expect anything unusual at the polls on Election Day.”
“We expect voters to have the same experience that they’ve had at previous elections, and so by no means are we looking to make anybody feel panicked or anything about this,” Wolfe said. “But clerks are asking very directly for this type of information because they are getting hundreds of emails from voters and from groups asking, ‘Do you have a plan if these sorts of things were to happen?’ And so I see this just like any other contingency planning that we do to assist our clerks.”
The memo to be sent to clerks notes that unless law enforcement officials are conducting a legitimate law enforcement activity or casting their own ballots, they generally shouldn’t be at the polls. If they are, the memo states, officers are subject to the same rules as any other election observer. Armed federal agents and the military are not allowed at polling places.
The guidance says that if agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security or the FBI show up at the polls, poll workers should immediately notify the municipal and county clerks and WEC staff.
The commissioners noted that in many communities across the state, local law enforcement regularly checks in with election staff to make sure there aren’t any problems. Commissioner Ann Jacobs said it’s preferable if that’s done by plainclothes officers, because that’s less intimidating than a uniformed officer with a gun and bulletproof vest on.
Republican Commissioner Robert Spindell said he was worried the guidance would depress turnout.
“It seems to me that the Democrats are worried about federal agents showing up at some of these polling places, and you know, obviously, to instruct the clerks what to do if they do,” he said. “But I think this guidance is only going to scare away some people from the polls when they, when this law enforcement guidance hits the news. I think it will, and I personally think this guidance is unnecessary, as we have not seemed to have needed this for the last 201 years.”
Candidates running in the race for Wisconsin Attorney General sparred on a myriad of topics during a debate Sunday, including adequate resources to address crime.
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Pressure has been building to expand the use of body cameras after a city of Madison police officer shot 38-year-old Corey Ruiz in July.
The post Dane County deputies could get body cams in next budget appeared first on WPR.
Wausau police say they've removed a repeat offender from local roadways, after he taunted them and attempted to run.
The post Wausau police seize juvenile’s e-motorcycle as frustration with e-riders grows statewide appeared first on WPR.
The program was created 50 years ago to make sure Wisconsin law enforcement agencies --- even in smaller communities --- have learned best practices and latest technology needed for investigating death scenes.
The post Annual training program that teaches law enforcement how to investigate deaths has 50th anniversary appeared first on WPR.
Wisconsin State Trooper Bradley Ritger died Oct. 2 after falling from a bridge in the line of duty. He was 29.
The post Wisconsin State Patrol mourns trooper who died after fall during traffic pursuit appeared first on WPR.
Madison's police monitor position is unique in Wisconsin. But, since its start, the office has weathered controversy after controversy.
The post Madison’s police monitor is unique in Wisconsin. But the office has been dogged by controversies appeared first on WPR.
Across Wisconsin and the country, body-camera use is near-universal among large law enforcement agencies. But, in Madison, the only officers who wear them are on the SWAT team or motorcycle unit.
The post Madison mayor: City cops will get body cams sooner than expected appeared first on WPR.
Several courthouses in north-central Wisconsin do not screen people coming into the building for weapons, an investigation by The Badger Project has found. A firearm discovered recently in one of them is highlighting that lack of security in public buildings in rural counties and local officials’ reluctance to pass the high costs of upgrades on to taxpayers.
A courthouse cleaner found a gun in the Langlade County Courthouse in Antigo just after 5 a.m. on Thursday, July 16, according to a criminal complaint from the Langlade County Sheriff’s Office. The firearm, stashed behind a toilet in the third-floor men’s bathroom, sat on top of a handwritten note containing the name of a jail inmate who’d recently testified in an attempted homicide trial. The day the gun was found, the Langlade County Sheriff’s Office arrested Harout Hosepian, who faces seven charges, including carrying a firearm in a public building and carrying a concealed knife.
Hosepian was seen on camera in the courthouse on July 15 and entered the bathroom, as well as the offices of the county clerk and district attorney, according to the complaint. That day, Hosepian carried a backpack and a cane. Authorities later discovered the cane concealed a serrated sword.
Hosepian remains in custody and is not yet represented by an attorney. He is a Chicago resident with multiple convictions, including aggravated battery and other felonies in 2016, according to the criminal complaint filed in Langlade County. In 2021, Hosepian was charged in Antigo with physically abusing a child, resisting an officer and disorderly conduct. That case is ongoing due, in part, to struggles finding an attorney. Hosepian is eligible for a public defender.
The criminal complaint says Hosepian told investigators that he had a personal connection to the attempted homicide trial, the one for which a witness’s name was found on the piece of paper under the gun in the courthouse.
The firearm discovery has spurred conversations among local leaders about how to improve security at public buildings. Langlade County’s courthouse, built in 1905, uses a single point of entry, but typically no one screens individuals entering the structure. A review by The Badger Project of other counties’ safety measures, which courthouse employees submitted to the county’s public safety committee, suggests Langlade County is not an outlier among rural counties. Neighboring Lincoln and Shawano counties also do not screen people who enter their courthouses. However, earlier this year, Shawano County approved spending up to $121 million to build a new courthouse and jail building.
Marathon County – with an estimated population of 139,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau – features the most intensive form of courthouse security in north central Wisconsin, including metal detectors and an X-ray machine. This system, installed in 2017, cost more than $300,000, along with additional employee costs to operate the station, according to the Wausau Pilot & Review.
The costs of security equipment, space, and staffing can be off-putting for local governments in rural municipalities like Langlade County, population 19,500. Residents like their taxes low, Circuit Court Judge John Rhode said during the Langlade County Public Safety Committee meeting on Sept. 10, and bolstering courthouse security would require “horrendous amounts of money.”
“If we do millions of dollars on upgrades to our security, it’s going to raise taxes,” Rhode said. “It’s not a popular thing. But I think we have to have the courage to say, we have to properly protect and care for our people and provide the services that we need. We can’t just keep wishing and hoping and being relieved that nothing bad is going to happen.”
Langlade County Sheriff Mark Westen told the committee he’d proposed security upgrades to the courthouse about eight years ago, but the county board scrapped the plans over the estimated costs. Westen suggested using a single point of entry with a screening checkpoint operated by two law enforcement officers. A machine to scan someone’s belongings will cost between $80,000 and $100,000, Westen said, and two full-time employees to operate the station will cost around $130,000 a year. The county may need to spend more to build a structure for the screening area so people are not waiting outside to enter the building.
The safety committee asked Westen for a written proposal to consider. The group’s next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 1. The county board, which is in control of budgeting, would have to make the final determination on any changes to courthouse security.
In 1988, a 19-year-old man walked into the City-County Building in Madison and shot multiple people, killing two. That led the city and Dane County to enhance security at the building.
The Badger Project is an independent, reader-supported newsroom in Wisconsin.
This article first appeared on The Badger Project and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Many rural Wisconsin courthouses lack weapon screening. A hidden gun highlights the issue. is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
State records show a Minnesota school bus contractor repeatedly operated vehicles that state inspectors had placed out of service for safety violations, but prosecutors rarely filed charges, reported ABC 5.
The investigation reportedly followed a high-profile crash involving a Pride Transportation school bus last spring. The bus carrying students reportedly lost control and struck a building on the Hamline University campus, injuring three children and an adult.
According to the news report, records indicate the Minnesota State Patrol caught Pride Transportation operating school buses marked out of service at least 16 times since 2020. State inspection rules prohibit those buses from returning to service until identified defects are repaired, and the vehicles pass reinspection.
In one instance, a trooper reportedly found five out-of-service Pride buses transporting students in St. Paul. The citation referenced the company’s history of operating buses after failed annual inspections. About 85 percent of the company’s buses failed their latest inspections this year, according to state records cited in the report.
A former participant in the inspection process, who requested anonymity to protect his employment, alleged that some buses returned to service without repairs after receiving out-of-service decals. “We’d apply the out-of-service decal, and they say they’d get it fixed and then it would be en route that evening with nothing fixed,” he said.
An attorney representing Pride Transportation declined an interview and offered no comment. However, a company driver previously told local news reporters that buses sometimes failed for minor issues that were repaired, and that failed buses were not driven.
Troopers reportedly requested criminal charges in nearly every cited instance involving an out-of-service bus, the investigation found. Minnesota lawmakers increased the offense from a misdemeanor to a gross misdemeanor in 2023, but court records reportedly show prosecutors have filed the charge only once since the change.
St. Paul City Attorney Irene Kao reportedly said there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges in the cases reviewed by her office. Kao did not respond to any additional questions.
The investigation also identified a previously unreported crash last May in Edina. A Pride bus without students reportedly crossed a parking lot and struck a house. Investigators could not determine the exact cause but cited possible driver error. Inspectors also concluded the bus should not have left the garage because of critical safety problems, including a severely worn tire.
Written with the assistance of AI.
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The post Minnesota Bus Company Allegedly Operated Unsafe School Buses appeared first on School Transportation News.
A lawsuit has been filed against municipalities in Waukesha County over their use of Flock Safety's license plate reader camera system.
The post Municipalities in Waukesha County sued over use of Flock camera system appeared first on WPR.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol is conducting a three-day School Bus Safety Outreach event to increase public awareness and reinforce safe driving practices around school buses statewide, reported KXGL News.
The initiative running Sept. 8-10 includes partnerships between state troopers and local school districts. Troopers are observing school bus routes and loading zones while monitoring whether motorists comply with South Dakota’s school bus stopping laws.
According to the news report, marked patrol vehicles are visible near school bus stops, loading areas and high-traffic routes where students board and exit buses. The increased presence is intended to remind drivers about their responsibilities, discourage dangerous behavior and help protect children traveling to and from school.
“School bus safety is a shared responsibility,” Highway Patrol Capt. Jon Stahl said via the article. “Our presence during these three days is meant to educate drivers, support school districts and reinforce that stopping for school buses isn’t optional, it’s essential for protecting children.”
As part of the outreach, troopers are following select school buses along their regular routes to observe how nearby motorists respond. They will also position marked patrol vehicles near loading zones to increase law enforcement visibility.
Additionally, troopers are conducting targeted safety operations to identify violations and encourage motorists to comply with school bus safety laws. The South Dakota Highway Patrol will provide safety reminders and information to community members and news media throughout the initiative.
Motorists should remain alert when approaching school buses and anticipate frequent stops, particularly during morning and afternoon travel times. Drivers should slow down around buses and watch carefully for students who may be walking near the roadway or crossing the street.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol also reminded motorists that they must stop when a school bus displays flashing red lights. Drivers should remain stopped until the lights are deactivated, and it is safe to continue traveling.
Officials said seemingly small actions behind the wheel, including reducing speed, avoiding distractions and stopping as required, can prevent potentially tragic incidents.
The outreach reflects the South Dakota Highway Patrol’s effort to work alongside school districts and communities to promote safer travel for students across the state at the beginning of the school year.
Written with the assistance of AI.
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Related: Texas Sixth Grader Wins National School Bus Safety Poster Contest
The post South Dakota Highway Patrol Launches School Bus Safety Outreach Week appeared first on School Transportation News.
Law enforcement and city officials around the state are breaking ties with Flock Safety, citing an erosion of trust in how their traffic data is being used.
The post More than a dozen Wisconsin cities disable Flock cameras, cancel contracts appeared first on WPR.
Calaveras Unified School District officials in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills said a school bus driver followed district protocols during a disturbance last month that resulted in a parent allegedly breaking glass on the bus loading door and entering through a window.
Superintendent Kassie Meeks told School Transportation News that the bus had arrived at a scheduled Aug. 24 stop, when the driver took the opportunity to address students about their behavior. There had reportedly been yelling, screaming and other disruptive behavior while the bus was moving.
“Our goal is to ensure that students follow appropriate behavior expectations so the driver can safely operate the bus and maintain the safety of everyone on board,” Meeks said.
Meeks shared that district officials reviewed bus video footage and determined the driver spent approximately four minutes addressing student behavior, reviewing bus expectations and asking students to calm down. During that time, one student exited through a bus window.
Shortly afterward, a parent arrived on the scene and began aggressively banging on the bus loading door, ultimately breaking the glass. Law enforcement was immediately contacted, and the California Highway Patrol was notified because damage to a school bus with students aboard triggers specific state safety protocols, she added.
The parent then climbed through an open bus window while authorities were responding, according to Meeks. An adult outside the bus could also reportedly be heard encouraging students to exit through the windows, and additional students subsequently did so.
Meeks said law enforcement arrived approximately 14 minutes after the bus reached the scheduled stop. Students remaining onboard were directed to stay seated and calm while authorities investigated.
STN contacted the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office for comment about the arrest and circumstances surrounding the incident but had not received a response as of this writing. But according to local news reports citing the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office, the parent broke glass while striking the bus door and was arrested on suspicion of vandalism.
Neither the driver nor any students were injured, Meeks confirmed.
The district also disputed claims that students had been held on the bus for more than an hour before the situation escalated.
“Regarding the driver, after reviewing the video footage, the district believes the driver acted appropriately under extremely challenging circumstances,” Meeks said. “His focus remained on student safety, maintaining order and attempting to de-escalate the situation.”
Meeks told STN the driver has returned to the regular route. The bus sustained damage to the glass in its door and underwent repairs.
The district determined the driver followed appropriate protocols and has not identified a need to change its transportation procedures because of the incident, Meeks said. However, she said officials will continue reviewing practices and reinforcing safety expectations with employees and students.
Calaveras County is known for its Giant Sequoias, Mark Twain’s story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, and as a key area of mining during the state’s Gold Rush of the mid-1880’s.
Related: Missouri Parent Boards School Bus, Tells Child to Assault Another Student
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Related: Iowa Parents Claim School Bus Driver Forced Son Off Miles from Home
The post Parent’s Vandalism Arrest Results from School Bus Disturbance in California Gold Country appeared first on School Transportation News.
Stanley Pophal, who previously pled guilty to defrauding 190 investors out of $14.25 million dollars, has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
The post Wausau man who bought hundreds of snowmobiles sentenced in $14M Ponzi scheme appeared first on WPR.
All three of the Milwaukee Police Department’s automatic license plate reader systems will be subject to new security safeguards, department officials confirmed Wednesday.
The department’s confirmation follows Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s announcement regarding new restrictions aimed at preventing officer misuse and protecting privacy.
An MPD spokesperson said the changes will be incorporated into the department’s official policy.
The mayor’s initial announcement focused on Flock Safety, one of three automated license plate reader systems used by MPD. NNS previously reported that the department also uses Genetec and Axon systems.
All three systems automatically capture license plate information that can be searched later.
As of June, MPD had access to: 35 Flock cameras; 39 Genetec cameras; and Axon license plate readers installed in 80 patrol vehicles.
Only MPD supervisors will be allowed to access automatic license plate reader systems, Johnson said in his announcement.
Some MPD personnel have been accused of misusing Flock. MPD officer Josue Ayala was convicted in June of attempted misconduct in public office in connection with his use of Flock cameras.
Access to Milwaukee’s license plate reader systems will also be limited to MPD, excluding other law enforcement agencies.
Supervisors may use the systems only to investigate Part I crimes, which include homicide, rape and aggravated assault, among others. They may also use the technology to investigate critical missing persons, drug trafficking organization and abductions.
A department said automatic license plate reader cameras will continue to passively capture data, but supervisors may access it only for appropriate investigations.
The mayor announced transparency measures as well.
MPD will create a public dashboard detailing its use of license plate reader systems, and the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission will conduct semi-annual independent audits of use.
Johnson said the commission has already initiated an audit of Flock systems.
The announcement does not specify what information will appear on the dashboard or what metrics the audits will examine.
NNS asked the mayor’s office whether MPD will write the changes into its policies and for additional details about the dashboard and audits.
The mayor’s office referred the questions to MPD, confirming that the police chief has authority over department policy.
After Johnson’s announcement, Amanda Merkwae, policy and advocacy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, said in a written statement the changes are “a step in the right direction” but that “Flock is still an incredibly invasive technology that has the power to indiscriminately surveil our communities on a mass scale.”
Merkwae argued that using Flock should require a warrant based on probable cause. She also called for independent oversight and written policies for all MPD surveillance technologies use.
“We cannot only accept a solution where police are responsible for policing themselves,” Merkwae said.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
Milwaukee police: Flock restrictions will apply to other license plate reader systems is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information from the Milwaukee Police Department.
Although Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson has announced new safeguards for the Milwaukee Police Department’s use of Flock Safety cameras, it remains unclear whether the rules will apply to all three of the city’s license plate reader systems or only to Flock.
Flock is one of three automated license plate reader systems used by MPD. NNS previously reported that the department also uses Genetec and Axon systems.
All three systems automatically capture license plate information that can be searched later.
As of June, MPD had access to: 35 Flock cameras, 39 Genetec cameras and Axon license plate readers installed in 80 patrol vehicles.
According to Johnson’s announcement, only MPD supervisors will be allowed to access Flock. Officers and detectives will no longer have access.
Some MPD personnel have been accused of misusing Flock. Former MPD officer Josue Ayala, was convicted in June of attempted misconduct in public office in connection with his use of Flock cameras.
Access to Milwaukee’s Flock cameras will also be limited to MPD, excluding other law enforcement agencies.
Supervisors will be allowed to use Flock cameras only for investigating Part I crimes, which include homicide, rape and aggravated assault, among others. They can also use the cameras in cases involving critical missing persons, drug trafficking organization investigations and abductions.
The mayor also announced transparency measures.
MPD will create a public dashboard with information about its use of Flock, and the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission will conduct twice-annual independent audits of the department’s Flock use.
Johnson said the commission has already begun an audit.
The announcement does not specify what information will appear on the dashboard or what metrics the audits will examine.
NNS asked the mayor’s office whether the safeguards would extend to Genetec and Axon, whether the changes would be written into MPD policies and what the dashboard and audits would include.
The mayor’s office referred the questions to MPD, saying that the police chief has authority over department policy.
MPD did not respond to questions from NNS.
After Johnson’s announcement, Amanda Merkwae, policy and advocacy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, said in a written statement the changes are “a step in the right direction” but that “Flock is still an incredibly invasive technology that has the power to indiscriminately surveil our communities on a mass scale.”
The use of Flock, Merkwae argued, should require a warrant based on probable cause. MPD should also face independent oversight and adopt written policies for all of the surveillance technologies it uses, she added.
“We cannot only accept a solution where police are responsible for policing themselves,” Merkwae said.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
Milwaukee limits Flock cameras, leaving other license plate reader rules unclear is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
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