The Wisconsin State Capitol Police is a police force maintained by the

Wisconsin Department of Administration The Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) is an agency of the Wisconsin state government which provides a range of services and programs, from operations, technology, and logistical support for the state, to assistance programs for low-inco ...

, and is responsible for policing the

Wisconsin State Capitol The Wisconsin State Capitol, located in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. Completed in 1917, the building is the fifth to serve as the Wi ...

, state government facilities and the protection of the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

History

The origins of the force date to 1881, when five police officers were employed at the Wisconsin State Capitol. In 1903, this was increased to eight police officers, supported by two night watchmen. In 1911, the eight police officers were under the supervision of the Superintendent of Public Property. In 1969, a Catholic prient, Father

James Groppi James Edmund Groppi (November 16, 1930 – November 4, 1985) was an erstwhile Catholic priest and noted civil rights activist based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He became well known for leading numerous protests, many times being arrested during ...

, organized the "Welfare Mothers' March on Madison". 1000 welfare mothers occupied the chamber of the State Assembly for 11 hours, in protest against planned welfare cuts. In response, the State Legislature replaced the then Capitol Security force with the "State Protective Services", which saw the force grow to 66 police officers and 13 detectives, responsible for providing law enforcement services at the Capitol and other Department of Administration facilities in the state. In 2000, law enforcement responsibilities for the

State Fair Park State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

West Allis West Allis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. A suburb of Milwaukee, it is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 60,325 at the 2020 census. History The name West Allis derives from Edward P. Allis, ...

were transferred from the

Wisconsin State Fair Park Police Department The Wisconsin State Fair Park is a fairgrounds and exhibition center in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb west of Milwaukee. It has been the location of the Wisconsin State Fair since 1892. The fairgrounds are open year-round, hosting various exped ...

to the Capitol Police and the two departments merged. In 2008, the two were again separated. In 2004, Governor

Jim Doyle James Edward Doyle, Jr., (born November 23, 1945) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th governor of Wisconsin, serving from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011. In his first election to the governorship, he defeated incu ...

proposed merging the Capitol Police with the State Patrol. In 2010, the force had 48 full-time employees. The force was officially renamed "Wisconsin State Capitol Police" in 2013, and new black uniforms and redesigned patches were issued.

Structure

The Capitol Police have statewide jurisdiction to enforce criminal and civil laws. They are responsible for security at all state owned and leased facilities, and oversee events and demonstrations that take place on state property. They provide protection to the Governor, family, Lieutenant Governor, and other high ranking dignitaries. The headquarters of the Capitol Police are located in the Risser Justice Center in Madison, with substations in the State Capitol and the Milwaukee State Office Building.

Patrol Operations Section

Patrol Operations is the uniformed section of the force, with officers in Madison and Milwaukee. It is responsible for providing uniformed police officers who patrol Department of Administration managed properties on foot or in vehicles. The Section is responsible for crowd management during events and political demonstrations.

Support Services Section

The Capitol Police communications center operates 24 hours a day, relaying information to officers and monitoring alarms at state facilities.

Criminal Investigations Unit

The Criminal Investigations Unit conducts criminal investigations, prepares and executes search warrants and subpoenas, preserves and collects evidence, provides victim services, manages court services, and assists the patrol, dignitary, and security units as required. The Criminal Investigations Unit processes over a thousand court cases each year.

Dignitary Protection Unit

The Dignitary Protection Unit provides

protective security A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, ...

to the

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

, their family, the

Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin The lieutenant governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Wisconsin, line of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, r ...

, and other high ranking dignitaries who work for and visit the state.

K-9 Unit

The K-9 Unit consists of one handler and one police dog, trained in detecting explosives, trained in "vapor wake" detection.

Unmanned Aircraft Unit

The Capitol Police operates an

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...

(drone), used for law enforcement purposes, as well as

emergency management Emergency management or disaster management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actuall ...

crime scene A crime scene is any location that may be associated with a committed crime. Crime scenes contain physical evidence that is pertinent to a criminal investigation. This evidence is collected by crime scene investigators (CSI) and law enforcement ...

investigation and

missing person A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, de ...

searches.

External links

References

{{Capitol police Capitol Police Capitol police