City of Milwaukee - File #: 251797

• File #: 251797
• Version: 3
• Type: Ordinance
• Status: Passed
• File created: 2/10/2026
• In control: PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH COMMITTEE
• Final action: 4/21/2026
• Effective date: 5/9/2026
• Title: A substitute ordinance relating to law enforcement identification.
• Sponsors: ALD. BROWER, ALD. ZAMARRIPA, ALD. DIMITRIJEVIC, ALD. PEREZ, ALD. MOORE, ALD. TAYLOR, ALD. BAUMAN, ALD. BURGELIS
• Indexes: POLICE DEPARTMENT, SAFETY REGULATIONS

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
5/8/2026	3	CITY CLERK	PUBLISHED
4/22/2026	3	MAYOR	SIGNED
4/21/2026	2	COMMON COUNCIL	TAKEN FROM COMMITTEE; Minutes note: City Clerk confirmed motion in order. Roll call was made.	Pass	14:0
4/21/2026	2	COMMON COUNCIL	SUBSTITUTED	Pass	14:0
4/21/2026	3	COMMON COUNCIL	PASSED	Pass	13:0
3/24/2026	2	COMMON COUNCIL	NOT ACTED ON; Minutes note: This file was not before the Common Council due to ongoing legal review by the City Attorney's Office, which was still pending. Ald. Burgelis moved for the Common Council to resolve itself into Committee of the Whole. There was no objection.
3/12/2026	1	PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH COMMITTEE	SUBSTITUTED; Minutes note: Appearing: Sponsor Ald. Brower City of Milwaukee City Attorney Evan Goyke Deputy CA Clint Muche	Pass	5:0
3/12/2026	2	PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH COMMITTEE	RECOMMENDED FOR PASSAGE; Minutes note: Appearing: Sponsor Ald. Brower City of Milwaukee City Attorney Evan Goyke ACA Clint Muche Public Testimony by: Christine Newmann-Ortiz, Voces de la Frontera Darryl Morin, Forward Latino Emilio De Torre, Milwaukee Turners at Turner Hall Ald. Burgelis asked to be added as o-sponsor.	Pass	5:0
2/10/2026	0	COMMON COUNCIL	ASSIGNED TO

Number
251797
Version
SUBSTITUTE 3
Reference

Sponsor
ALD. BROWER, ZAMARRIPA, DIMITRIJEVIC, PEREZ, MOORE, TAYLOR, BAUMAN, AND BURGELIS
Title
A substitute ordinance relating to law enforcement identification.
Section
105-140 cr
Analysis
This ordinance prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings while interacting with the public in the performance of their duties, subject to limited exceptions. It also requires officers acting in an official capacity to display identifying information on their uniforms or, upon request, verbally provide their agency affiliation and last name, badge number, or identification number. Violations are punishable by a forfeiture of $5,000 to $10,000.
Body
The Mayor and Common Council of the City of Milwaukee do ordain as follows:

Part 1. Section 105-140 of the code is created to read:

105-140. Law Enforcement Identification.

1. FINDINGS. a. The use of facial coverings and disguises by law enforcement officers significantly affects the public’s perception of law enforcement, officer-community interactions, and accountability.

b. Persons reasonably may experience fear or intimidation when approached by officers whose faces are obscured. Such reactions can heighten defensive behavior and unnecessarily escalate the tension inherent in many interactions between law enforcement officers and members of the public.

c. Facial coverings limit the visibility of facial expressions, which are an essential component of nonverbal communication. In high-stress or emotionally charged interactions, a person’s inability to read an officer’s expression may lead to a misinterpretation of tone or intent, increasing the risk of conflict.

d. When officers are not readily identifiable, the risk of impersonation of an officer increases. Unable to reliably distinguish actual law enforcement officers from impostors, persons may fear complying with the lawful authority of actual law enforcement officers, again increasing the r...