Milwaukee Leaders React To Killing Of City Employee

Milwaukee officials have identified the Milwaukee housing inspector who was shot and killed on the job Wednesday.

Greg “Ziggy” Zyszkiewicz was found shot and killed Wednesday in his vehicle on the city’s northwest side after going to conduct an inspection for the Department of Neighborhood Services, where he’d worked for more than three decades.

Preston Cole, the department’s commissioner, said the department is considering ways to improve employee safety, like sending inspectors out in city-owned cars.

“Again, everything is in play,” Cole said. “We certainly are reviewing lots of policies and procedures. Things that continue to work for us, things that we would take a look at.”

Cole said the responsibility for transportation falls on the employee, but that may change.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said he doesn’t believe Zyszkiewicz felt like he was in danger during the inspection.

“We ask our employees and we know our employees use good judgment,” Barrett said. “They work with the community prosecution unit members to determine if police involvement is necessary. They are also told, and I reiterated this to them this morning, if they feel uncomfortable, to get out of there.”

Barrett said they are working with other departments to determine a solution to better improve the safety of city employees.

Alderman Robert Donovan said he would like to work with the mayor and other community leaders on finding a solution.

“I want to hear from city employees as to how they feel about their own safety,” Donovan said. “I want to know what steps the city should perhaps take to ensure a higher level of safety.”

This is the second time in as many months city services have been threatened. Last month six shots were fired at a fire station on the city’s northwest side, no one was injured.

Milwaukee police say they have made no arrests in the murder of Zyszkiewicz and they are still searching for a suspect.