Barrett Picks Leon Todd to Lead Fire & Police Commission
Public defender would be fourth executive director in three years.
Leon Todd. Photo provided by the City of Milwaukee.
Mayor Tom Barrett has found a new leader for the city’s Fire & Police Commission.
Barrett is appointing Leon Todd, a public defender, to lead the commission. The commission is responsible for oversight of the city’s police and fire departments, including hiring, firing, discipline and standard operating procedures.
The executive director leads the department’s full-time staff and serves as a secretary to the appointed-board in which ultimate authority is vested.
Todd’s appointment is subject to Common Council confirmation. The city’s legislative body effectively ousted the prior executive director, Griselda Aldrete. She clashed with members of the council on multiple occasions and ultimately withdrew from the reappointment process in July. She resigned in October.
“Leon Todd is an ideal candidate to lead the Fire & Police Commission because of his remarkable qualifications and his track record of dedicated service to all,” said Barrett. “I believe that he will bring the leadership necessary to oversee the commission in an equitable and just manner.”
According to a press release provided by the mayor’s office, Todd has served as an assistant state public defender since 2014. “In his role, Todd has argued numerous cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, represented clients who are incarcerated throughout the state, and mentored and assisted in the hiring process of new attorneys,” says the release.
He received an undergraduate degree in political science from UW-Milwaukee and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Todd currently serves on the boards of the Wisconsin Justice Initiative and Legal Action of Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers.
He previously worked for Foley & Lardner.
The commission is currently engaged in hiring new chiefs for both the police and fire departments.
Todd’s father, Leon Todd, Jr., ran against Barrett in 2004 for mayor and previously served as a member of the Milwaukee School Board.
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More about the Fire & Police Commission's Troubles
- City Hall: Johnson Names Former Deputy City Attorney To Fire & Police Commission - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 2nd, 2022
- City Hall: Washington, Burgos Join Fire-Police Board - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 20th, 2022
- City Hall: Kessler Resigns From Fire-Police Board - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 19th, 2022
- City Hall: Committee Backs Johnson’s FPC Nominees - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 9th, 2022
- City Hall: Mayor Acts To Create Full Fire & Police Commission - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 12th, 2022
- City Hall: Bree Spencer Named To Fire & Police Commission - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 9th, 2022
- FPC Suspends Residency Preference For Police, Fire Promotions - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 7th, 2021
- City Hall: Committee Endorses Dana World-Patterson’s Appointment To FPC - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 2nd, 2021
- City Hall: Dana World-Patterson Nominated to FPC - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 9th, 2021
- City Hall: Jeffrey Norman Named Permanent Chief of Police - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 4th, 2021
Read more about Fire & Police Commission's Troubles here
Mr. Morales skips over the issue of Common Council confirmation. There appears to be a solid block of council members who are hostile to the police and will not confirm a mayoral nominee who doesn’t agree with them. Years of promised “reforms” that never happened have led to this.
Competent middle of the road types who know something about law enforcement and management don’t apply because they don’t need the aggravation of a hostile block of common council members. And for pay of $6,000.00 per year. Barrett is left with limited choices.
One bright note is the incoming Executive Director, Atty. Leon Todd – who is a full-time employee and has a real background working in the criminal justice system.
This comment was meant in response to today’s op- Ed by Mr. Morales on Mayor Barrett’s being “Asleep at the Switch” regarding his FPC appointments. It got out here evidently by mistake because I mentioned Leon Todd as the new Executive Director of the FPC.