Agency Responsibilities
Located in downtown Madison, the
Wisconsin State Capitol Police has statewide jurisdiction to serve the approximately 35,000 employees of the State of Wisconsin across more than 300 state facilities. The Capitol Police has two distinct bureaus: the
Patrol Operations Bureau and the
Specialized Services Bureau.
Patrol Operations Bureau
The Bureau of Patrol Operations includes the uniformed officers you see daily inside the State Capitol. In addition to our presence in the Capitol, our patrol officers conduct routine patrols and provide the primary response to calls for service in 61 state facilities located between Madison and Milwaukee. In addition to our typical police and security services, Capitol Police also supports and ensures safety at special events, including the Dane County Farmer's Market, Concerts on the Square, Taste of Madison, and Art Fair on the Square. We also support various state office buildings outside our primary response areas by providing comprehensive security assessments.
Specialized Services Bureau
The Bureau of Specialized Services includes our Communications Unit, Infrastructure Security Unit, Criminal Investigations Unit, and the Executive Residence Detail.
Communications Unit:
Our Communications Center receives telephone calls, dispatches officers to calls for service, and additionally monitors alarms from 302 facilities across the state. From Waukesha to La Crosse, all the way to Madeline Island, our professional dispatchers are orchestrating police, fire, EMS, and maintenance calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Infrastructure Security Unit:
Our Infrastructure Security Unit is comprised of electronic security systems managers, electronic technicians, and a locksmith. They plan, install, and maintain access control systems, building automation, and a network of security cameras throughout the state.
Criminal Investigations Unit:
Our Criminal Investigations Unit is a team of three detectives who are dedicated to solving more complex cases. They work in collaboration with our law enforcement partners at the local, state, federal, and tribal levels. Some important services our investigations unit offers are providing intelligence briefings and bulletins, monitoring for threats to elected officials and state employees, and serving as the liaison to the Wisconsin Statewide Intelligence Center, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the Wisconsin National Guard, and the state Emergency Police Services.
Executive Residence Detail:
The Executive Residence Detail (ERD) is a specialized team of sworn WI State Capitol police officers, known as Dignitary Specialists. This detail is responsible for the security at the
WI Executive Residence, including the Governor and their family, staff, visitors to the residence, and the property itself. Specialists on this team are trained and equipped to deter and detect a variety of criminal activities, including intrusion onto the property, while ensuring the day-to-day business of the residence can be conducted. For more information about public events, please visit the
WI Executive Residence Visiting and Tours page.
Specialized Teams
Our Specialized Teams are composed of team members across our division, including our civilian staff and sworn officers.
K-9 Team:
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K9 Gator |
K9 Otter |
Our K-9 team is made up of two dedicated handlers, Sergeant Tammy Johnson and Corporal Jose Mayorquin, and two incredible K-9 partners, Gator and Otter. A fun fact about our four-legged officers - Gator and Otter are siblings! Gator and Otter are trained in explosive detection and are skilled at working safely in busy environments and large crowds. Their training allows them to independently sample their surroundings, which assists in keeping the public events safe for everyone attending. You'll often see our K-9 team out in the community, especially at local farmers' markets and special events, where they're not only working hard but also enjoying the chance to meet residents. They take their jobs seriously, but never turn down a good ear scratch. Our K-9 team is available for statewide service requests, and we're proud of the role they play in keeping our communities safe one wagging tail at a time.
Court Protection Unit:
Pictured: Sergeant Johnson, Corporals Krusick and Wolbert, and K9 Gator
Our Court Protection Unit (CPU) is made up of specially trained officers who focus on keeping justices, judges, court staff, and the public safe every day. The CPU officers work both behind the scenes and in plain sight, concentrating on prevention, awareness, and preparedness throughout our court facilities. You may see the CPU officers out in the wild conducting security assessments, advancement work, coordinating special court operations, or standing watch during events and high-profile proceedings. Their goal is to provide safety and security for everyone in different settings. The CPU officers are always approachable and professional. They're great at reading a room, noticing the small details, and can predict needs.
Unmanned Aircraft Team:
The Wisconsin State Capitol Police operates an unmanned aircraft "drone" system as a tool for a variety of applications. These applications include assisting the Department of Administration and other state, local, and tribal agencies with aerial photography of post-disaster damage assessments (e.g., flooding and tornadoes), searches for missing persons, documentation of crime scenes, traffic incident management, and other events that may benefit from an aerial overview. The aircraft can transmit live video feeds and photos to remote users, such as those in the State Emergency Operations Center, providing a high degree of incident awareness and assessment to state decision-makers. The Wisconsin State Capitol Police has highly trained, experienced, FAA-licensed unmanned aircraft pilots. Our team coordinator and pilots are the subject matter experts for other public safety agencies throughout the State of Wisconsin on this topic.
Wisconsin Drone Network
The Wisconsin State Capitol Police is the co-chair of the Wisconsin Emergency Management Air Coordination Group. Our role is to coordinate information between any agency that requests emergency air support from an unmanned aircraft ("drone"), and a network of public safety agencies who are willing to fulfill those requests with remote pilots, crew, and aircraft. Safety, and therefore training, is the priority of the Wisconsin Drone Network. Wisconsin State Capitol Police personnel worked to develop the first State of Wisconsin-recognized public safety drone pilot certification standard.
Click Here to download the Call-Out Procedures Poster for Communications Centers/EOC.
Click Here to apply to participate in the WI Drone Network (open to all public safety drone pilots).