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FACT BRIEF

Are Milwaukee's police and fire departments overseen by a part-time board?

By Tom Kertscher
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YES

The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, composed of part-time board members, oversees the city’s fire and police departments.

The nine commissioners are appointed by the mayor, approved by the Common Council and supported by a full-time staff.

The commission sets policy and hires the chiefs of both departments. The chiefs run day-to-day operations.

The commission was created in 1885 by state law as a way to remove fire and police services from politics.

The Wisconsin Legislature on June 14, 2023 approved a wide-ranging bill that includes changes to the commission.

Policymaking authority would be transferred from the commission to the two chiefs.

Additionally, one of the commission members would have to be chosen from nominations made by the police union and one by the firefighters' union. Those members could not be current employees of either department.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
City of Milwaukee Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission 2022 Annual Report
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel What is the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission and why should I care about it?
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Shared revenue bill would diminish civilian oversight of police, Milwaukee mayor warns
Wisconsin State Legislature Wisconsin Legislature: AB245: Bill Text
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.