Milwaukee Residents Share Their Hopes For Next Police Chief

Some Milwaukee citizens are calling for the city’s next police chief to be more transparent on police shootings.

At a Wednesday night meeting, a community coalition invited people to share the qualities they want in the next police chief who will be replacing retiring Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn.

Jamaal Smith, of the African-American Roundtable, said Wednesday that some people feel Milwaukee Police Department administrators have been slow to release video of officer-involved shootings.

He said family members of those killed in officer-involved shootings should be able to see the footage earlier.

“If we’re talking about what we need to see as far as transparency is concerned, if nothing else, the family needs to see that,” Smith said. “No. 2: don’t lie to us. That’s why we keep saying it’s about police-community relations.”

About 100 people attended the two-hour meeting, including current and former police officers who requested the next chief be willing to accept criticism from inside the department.

Officers need to be able to trust the chief won’t discipline them for speaking up, said Regina Howard, a retired police captain.

“So, I believe it’s important to have a police chief who’s going to listen to the community and their internal constituency without getting angry, without getting upset and without punishing people who are simply trying to express their views. That’s critical for us,” Howard said.

Some city officials attended the meeting, hosted by the Community Coalition for Quality Policing and LISC Milwaukee, at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum.

Milwaukee’s Fire and Police Commission may name finalists for interim chief in the next few days. The commission hopes to choose a permanent replacement for Flynn by later this year.