Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors Approves Resolution Regarding Footage Release

[Milwaukee, WI] - At Thursday’s Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors meeting, the board voted 12-5 (1 excused) in favor of passing a resolution that advises the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) to adopt a policy similar to the Milwaukee Police Department’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 575. SOP 575 requires the MPD to release footage related to critical incidents to the victim’s next of kin within 48 hours and to the public within 15 days of the incidents. This policy went into effect last July after the Milwaukee Police Association had tied it up in the court since April 2023. 

Today’s vote ought to be recognized as a victory for the people of Milwaukee, especially the families of those who have lost loved ones inside the Milwaukee County Jail. The families of Brieon Green and Cilivea Thyrion have tirelessly recounted the pain of not knowing what happened to their loved ones in their final moments and the need for greater transparency from the MCSO. It was their powerful testimonies and the support of the community that called their County Supervisors to approve of the resolution that secured this victory. 

While the resolution is not binding and cannot dictate what the MCSO does, given that the MCSO is an autonomous entity, it helps mount greater pressure to ensure that the MCSO does adopt a policy regarding footage release. If the people of Milwaukee County want the policy, the County Supervisors agree, and the MPD has been utilizing it for half a year, why can’t the MCSO adopt it? Sheriff Ball ran her campaign on trust and transparency. The time is now for the MCSO to adopt a policy similar to SOP 575 and increase transparency. Only then will there be a possibility of building trust with the people of Milwaukee County.