| Chief of the Milwaukee Police Department | |
|---|---|
| Incumbent Jeffrey B. Norman since December 2020 | |
| Milwaukee Police Department | |
| Type | Chief of police |
| Appointer | Fire and Police Commission |
| Precursor | City sheriff |
| Inaugural holder | William Beck |
| Formation | 1855; 170 years ago (1855) |
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The chief of the Milwaukee Police Department is the head of the Milwaukee Police Department. The position was established in 1855 by mayor James B. Cross to replace the position of city sheriff. He appointed William Beck, a former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, as the first chief, a position he held until his resignation in 1861; he later served two more non-consecutive terms. The mayor directly appointed the position, which caused the position to have a spoils system. The Fire and Police Commission was founded in 1885 with the sole authority to select and remove chiefs, replacing the previous system. In 1888, the commission fired Florian J. Ries, who had been appointed by Mayor Emil Wallber, and selected John T. Janssen, who served as chief until his resignation in 1921.
The department's first Hispanic chief was Phillip Arreola, who became chief in 1989 – following Arreola, Arthur L. Jones became the first African American chief and Nannette Hegerty became the first female chief in 1996 and 2003, respectively. The current chief is Jeffrey B. Norman, who entered office in December 2020.
Chiefs
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| Name | Tenure start | Tenure end | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Beck | 1855 | October 1861 | ||
| Walter Sheldon Johnson | October 1861 | April 1862 | Also spelt "Johnston" | |
| Herman L. Page | 1862 | 1863 | ||
| William Beck | 1863 | 1878 | ||
| Daniel Kennedy | 1878 | 1880 | ||
| William Beck | 1880 | 1882 | ||
| Robert Wason Jr. | 1882 | 1884 | Also spelt "Wasson" | |
| Lemuel Ellsworth | 1884 | 1885 | ||
| Florian J. Ries | 1885 | 1888 | Fired by the Police and Fire Commission | |
| John T. Janssen | 1888 | 1921 | First chief appointed by the Police and Fire Commission | |
| Jacob Laubenheimer | 1921 | 1936 | ||
| Joseph T. Kluchesky | 1936 | 1945 | ||
| John W. Polcyn | 1945 | 1957 | ||
| Howard O. Johnson | 1957 | 1964 | ||
| Harold A. Breier | 1964 | 1984 | ||
| Robert J. Ziarnik | 1984 | November 1989 | ||
| Philip Arreola | November 1989 | November 15, 1996 | First Hispanic chief | |
| Arthur L. Jones | November 15, 1996 | November 18, 2003 | First African American chief | |
| Nannette Hegerty | November 18, 2003 | November 15, 2007 | First female chief | |
| Edward A. Flynn | November 15, 2007 | February 16, 2018 | ||
| Alfonso Morales | February 2018 | August 6, 2020 | Acting until 2020; fired | |
| Jeffrey B. Norman | December 2020 | Incumbent | Acting until November 15, 2021 |
Notes
References
- ^ Hughes 2021.
- Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 9.
- ^ Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 14.
- ^ Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 10.
- ^ Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 12.
- ^ Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 15.
- Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 16.
- ^ Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 20.
- Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 21.
- Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 22.
- Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 46.
- Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 11.
- Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 80.
- Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 95.
- Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 109.
- Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 121.
- Wellauer-Lenius 2008, p. 125.
- Diedrich & Borowski 2007.
- Luthern 2018.
- Luthern 2019.
- Barton & Luthern 2020.
Works cited
- Barton, Gina; Luthern, Ashley (August 6, 2020). "Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales demoted to captain; Fire and Police Commission says he 'failed' city". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (published January 4, 2022). Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- Diedrich, John; Borowski, Greg (January 6, 2007). "Hegerty to retire". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- Hughes, Elliot (November 15, 2021). "Norman takes the oath as Milwaukee's 22nd police chief: 'I am without a doubt ready'". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- Luthern, Ashley (January 9, 2018). "Who will be named acting chief of the Milwaukee Police Department? A look at likely candidates". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- Luthern, Ashley (December 13, 2019). "'No rush for us to hand out a four-year term': When will Milwaukee know if the police chief is getting another term?". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (published January 5, 2022). Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- Wellauer-Lenius, Maralyn (February 2008). Milwaukee Police Department. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738551722.