Milwaukee reaches possible settlement in stop-and-frisk suit

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and the city of Milwaukee have reached a tentative $1.9 settlement in a lawsuit alleging the city police department’s stop-and-frisk policy unfairly targets minorities.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the city’s Judiciary and Legislation Committee unanimously approved the settlement on Monday. The agreement must next receive approval from the full Common Council and Mayor Tom Barrett.

The ACLU of Wisconsin filed the lawsuit in February 2017, alleging that Milwaukee police frequently stops thousands of minorities without cause or suspicion.

The settlement also requires the Milwaukee Police Department and the Fire and Police Commission to reform stop-and-search practices, improve data collection and provide more training on stops and searches.

Spokeswomen for Barrett and the police department could not immediately be reached for comment.