Wisconsin Statutes
Wis. Stat. § 60.56 (2026)
Law enforcement
✓ current as of July 2026
Find cases:
SyfertCases citing this section
WI-LEGdocs.legis.wisconsin.gov
JustiaChapter on Justia
CornellLII Search
CasesGoogle Scholar
60.56(1)(a)(a) The town board may provide for law enforcement in the town or any portion of the town in any manner, including:
60.56(1)(a)2.2. Joining with another town, village or city to create a joint police department. If the town board establishes a joint police department with a village under s. 61.65 (1) (a) 3., the town board shall create a joint board of police commissioners with the village under s. 61.65 (1) (b) 1. b.
60.56(1)(am)(am) If a town board establishes a town police department under par. (a) 1. or 2. and does not create a board of police commissioners singly or in combination with another town, village or city, or if a town board establishes a combined protective services department under s. 60.553 and does not create a board of police and fire commissioners, the town may not suspend, reduce, suspend and reduce, or remove any police chief, chief of a combined protective services department, or other law enforcement officer who is not probationary, and for whom there is no valid and enforceable contract of employment or collective bargaining agreement which provides for a fair review prior to that suspension, reduction, suspension and reduction or removal, unless the town board does one of the following:
60.56(1)(am)1.1. Establishes a committee of not less than 3 members, none of whom may be an elected or appointed official of the town or be employed by the town. The committee shall act under s. 62.13 (5) in place of a board of police and fire commissioners. The town board may provide for some payment to each member for the member’s cost of serving on the committee at a rate established by the town board.
60.56(1)(am)2.2. Appoint a person who is not an elected or appointed official of the town and who is not employed by the town. The person shall act under s. 62.13 (5) in place of a board of police and fire commissioners. The town board may provide for some payment to that person for serving under this subdivision at a rate established by the town board.
60.56(1)(b)(b) The town board may provide for the equipping, staffing, housing and maintenance of law enforcement services.
60.56 AnnotationA town cannot “establish” a police department without official action. Christian v. Town of Emmett, 163 Wis. 2d 277, 471 N.W.2d 252 (Ct. App. 1991).
60.56 AnnotationThat a police chief served on a volunteer basis without compensation did not render the police chief a probationary officer under sub. (1) (am). “At-will” employment has no relevance to whether the procedures outlined in this section must be followed. Town of La Grange v. Auchinleck, 216 Wis. 2d 84, 573 N.W.2d 232 (Ct. App. 1997), 96-3313.
60.56 AnnotationA sheriff may not unilaterally withdraw investigative services provided to one urbanized town within the county because the town maintains its own police department. 81 Atty. Gen. 98.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4
cases, 1991–2011 · leading case: Christian v. Town of Emmett, 471 N.W.2d 252 (Wis. Ct. App. 1991).
Christian v. Town of Emmett, 471 N.W.2d 252 (Wis. Ct. App. 1991). “While sec. 60.56, Stats., does not specify the precise means by which a department may be "established," a commonsense reading of the statutory language necessarily implies that some form of municipal action is required.”
Town of La Grange v. Auchinleck, 573 N.W.2d 232 (Wis. Ct. App. 1997). “The court determined that the Town had not complied with the mandates of § 60.56, Stats., which prescribes statutory guidelines for the removal of law enforcement officers who do not serve in a community with a "board of police commissioners" or under an agreement that provides…”
Milwaukee Police Ass'n v. Bd. of Fire & Police Commissioners, 787 F. Supp. 2d 888 (E.D. Wis. 2011). “13(6m) (cities with a population of less than four thousand), § 60.56(l)(am) (town police departments), and § 61.”
Wallace v. Daguanno, 499 N.W.2d 264 (Wis. Ct. App. 1993). “In that event, sec. 60.56(1)(am), Stats., provides the procedural safeguards for a town with a police department, but no board of police commissioners to follow when terminating a police officer's employment.”
— Wis. Stat. § 60.56(1)(a) — 1 case
Christian v. Town of Emmett, 471 N.W.2d 252 (Wis. Ct. App. 1991). “While sec. 60.56, Stats., does not specify the precise means by which a department may be "established," a commonsense reading of the statutory language necessarily implies that some form of municipal action is required.”
— Wis. Stat. § 60.56(1)(am) — 2 cases
Christian v. Town of Emmett, 471 N.W.2d 252 (Wis. Ct. App. 1991). “While sec. 60.56, Stats., does not specify the precise means by which a department may be "established," a commonsense reading of the statutory language necessarily implies that some form of municipal action is required.”
Wallace v. Daguanno, 499 N.W.2d 264 (Wis. Ct. App. 1993). “In that event, sec. 60.56(1)(am), Stats., provides the procedural safeguards for a town with a police department, but no board of police commissioners to follow when terminating a police officer's employment.”
— Wis. Stat. § 60.56(l)(am) — 3 cases
Christian v. Town of Emmett, 471 N.W.2d 252 (Wis. Ct. App. 1991). “While sec. 60.56, Stats., does not specify the precise means by which a department may be "established," a commonsense reading of the statutory language necessarily implies that some form of municipal action is required.”
Town of La Grange v. Auchinleck, 573 N.W.2d 232 (Wis. Ct. App. 1997). “The court determined that the Town had not complied with the mandates of § 60.56, Stats., which prescribes statutory guidelines for the removal of law enforcement officers who do not serve in a community with a "board of police commissioners" or under an agreement that provides…”
Milwaukee Police Ass'n v. Bd. of Fire & Police Commissioners, 787 F. Supp. 2d 888 (E.D. Wis. 2011). “13(6m) (cities with a population of less than four thousand), § 60.56(l)(am) (town police departments), and § 61.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.