The number of sworn officers has already plummeted since the mid-90s.

The Milwaukee Police Department is unable to fill its recruit classes, and a declining percentage of recruits is graduating, according to data that Wisconsin Right Now obtained from the Fire and Police Commission.

Less than half of the budgeted recruit positions in 2024 were filled, the FPC chart revealed.

The data shows that 195 recruit positions were budgeted in 2024. Only 110 recruits were appointed, and only 91 total recruits actually graduated.

The recruiting crisis comes as the number of sworn officers has already plummeted sharply since the mid-90s. We requested the recruit class numbers from the FPC because we keep hearing from already short-staffed Milwaukee police officers who are concerned that the department “can’t fill its classes.” The low numbers come on the heels of years of negative rhetoric and stories directed toward police in general and at Milwaukee police in particular from some Democratic politicians and news outlets.

It also comes as Act 12 “imposed minimum staffing level requirements that Milwaukee must meet over a 10-year period, including the need to add up to 150 new officers. It also imposes a restriction that a portion of the city’s new 2% sales tax must be spent on public safety,” according to Urban Milwaukee.

According to its website, the civilian-run Fire and Police Commission is charged with “establishing recruitment and testing standards for positions in the Fire and Police Departments.”

We also asked the Milwaukee Police Association for the current number of sworn officers. We were told: “The current number of sworn officers as of December 21, 2024, is 1,587. Authorized is 1,808. So we are 221 down.” That counts commanders and supervisors. When you focus on just the rank-and-file, “The MPA is Authorized at 1,505 and is currently at 1,310. Which is 195 down.”

The highest number of sworn officers was in 1996, when there were 2,176.

There were more positions budgeted in 2024 than any year since 2020. However, the fact that the classes aren’t filling and that a declining percentage of the recruits  graduating when compared to 2020-2022 means that almost no progress is being made to grow the force strength of the MPD, as retirements continue and more loom. In fact, fewer recruits graduated in 2024 than in 2022.

The percentage graduating hit a low of 78% in 2023. The 2024 figure is 80%, the lowest since 2020, other than 2023.

In 2020, there was one recruit class of 65, and 62 graduated.

In 2021, there was one recruit class with 30, and 26 graduated.

In 2022, 130 positions were budgeted in 2 recruit classes, and 101 graduated.

In 2023, there were 115 positions budgeted and 92 graduated.