The City of Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission (FPC) is undergoing a significant transition due to the recent announcements that FPC Chair Marisabel Cabrera and FPC Executive Director LaKeisha Butler are leaving their positions. Milwaukee’s elected officials will play a critical role in ensuring that the processes for selecting their replacements are transparent and include community involvement.
As was the case with last year’s selection of a new Police Chief, the City must ensure that there are public forums, at convenient times and locations, for the leading candidates for both the FPC Director and any new FPC Commissioners to hear and respond to public input. These are critical steps in ensuring transparency, obtaining community input, and rebuilding trust with the community.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin seeks to defend the civil liberties and civil rights of all Wisconsin residents. Advocating for police accountability has been a priority of our organization for many years. The FPC plays a critical role in oversight of the Milwaukee Police Department and will have an important role in assuring the successful implementation of our settlement agreement in the Collins Stop and Frisk case and of the recommendations of the US Department of Justice draft COPs report.