Authority Within the County.
Milwaukee City Charter § 22-09
in effect22-09. Authority Within the County.
1. EXTENDED. The authority of the police department of the city of Milwaukee, is hereby extended so as to embrace the county of Milwaukee, and policemen of said city shall have the like authority to make arrests and serve process within the county of Milwaukee as are now possessed by them within the city of Milwaukee.
2. BY MILWAUKEE COUNTY. In order to facilitate the transactions of business and performance of duty by policemen in the county of Milwaukee, beyond the limits of the city of Milwaukee, the county board of supervisors of the county of Milwaukee may supply the police department of the city of Milwaukee with sufficient authority and conveyance to travel through the county of Milwaukee. (S. 1, 2, Ch. 204, L. 1875.)
3. SERVICE AND RETURN OF PROCESS. The officers and members of the police force shall have authority to serve and return process returnable in any court in the county of Milwaukee, in cases in which the city of Milwaukee or the state of Wisconsin is plaintiff or prosecutor, with the same force and effect as the same may be done by the sheriff of said county or his deputies. (S. 5, Ch. 308, L. 1882.)
4. OFFICERS OF THE PEACE; PENALTY FOR DISOBEYING. The mayor or acting mayor, the sheriff of Milwaukee county, and each justice of the peace, policeman, constable and watchman, shall be officers of the peace and may command the peace, and suppress in a summary manner all rioting and disorderly behavior within the limits of the city; and for such purposes they may command the assistance of all bystanders, and, if need be, of all citizens and military companies; and if any person, bystander, military officer, or private, shall refuse to aid in maintaining the peace when so required each such person shall forfeit and pay a fine of fifty dollars and in cases where the civil power may be required to suppress riotous and disorderly behavior, the superior or senior officer present, in the order above mentioned in this section, shall direct the proceedings. (S. 6, Subch. 15, Ch. 184, L. 1874, as affected by 1983 Wisconsin Act 210.)
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/City-Charter/CH22.pdf#page=2Fetched: 10/26/2026