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MILWAUKEE - It's called the OpenSky radio system. It's a $17 million digital radio system, but the Milwaukee police union claims it's putting officers' lives at risk.

Milwaukee Police officers were responding to a call for a student with a gun at Washington High School in January. But they had a problem: the officers couldn't communicate with each other inside the building. The Milwaukee Police Association blames the department's digital radio system.

"If an officer can't make communications with a dispatcher, or some other officers for help, it becomes a very serious situation. And we don't want to see any officer hurt," Mark Buetow, Vice President of the Milwaukee Police Association, said.

Officers say the OpenSky radios generally work well outdoors. But the signal is often lost inside buildings. The police union says that puts officers' lives at risk.

"Our job as a union is to make sure our officers have good, safe working conditions. And these radios are an issue for us," Buetow said.

MPD used to have analog radios. But in 2003 the police department decided to upgrade to OpenSky, using millions of dollars in federal funding to help with the cost.

The system was expected to be ready in 2005, but there have been a long series of problems and delays.

Buetow said there are still kinks in the technology. But he said they can be fixed by installing amplifiers and mobile secondary radio systems. But that costs money; money the union says the department isn't currently authorized to spend.

"Our thought is that our officers' safety is paramount. Whatever that cost is, it needs to be done," Buetow said.

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn issued a memo about the problems with OpenSky. He said MPD is doing all they can to fix the problems, including getting every field officer a personal radio so they can communicate safely.