MILWAUKEE - The ACLU of Wisconsin today issued a statement in response to Griselda Aldrete’s announcement Monday that she will not seek reappointment to her post as executive director of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission.
“The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission has a duty to ensure that the police are doing their job responsibly, lawfully, and in a manner that responds to the needs and concerns of the community. Changes in FPC leadership do not make the commission’s obligation to provide effective oversight and act in accordance with the will of the people any less urgent,” said Karyn Rotker, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Wisconsin. “While the ACLU does not take positions on individual political appointments, we expect the FPC to ensure that it is complying with our ongoing settlement agreement, as well as facilitating the necessary changes that the Milwaukee community has been calling for so fervently.”
“Even as the city works to appoint a new FPC executive director, the commission must fulfill its role and listen to the demands of the thousands of Milwaukee residents who have taken to the streets to demand systemic change in policing,” said Chris Ott, executive director of the ACLU of Wisconsin. “The FPC has a pivotal part to play in redefining the role of policing in Milwaukee, and its members must commit themselves to that goal, no matter who is in charge.”