Committee Backs Bree Spencer Joining Police Oversight Board

The Public Safety & Health Committee gave a unanimous thumbs-up Thursday to giving Bree Spencer a five-year term on the Fire & Police Commission (FPC).

The commission is responsible for hiring, firing, discipline and policy setting for the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) and Milwaukee Fire Department. Its most recent high-profile action was the adoption of a towing policy for vehicles driven recklessly.

“I want to be part of the improvement and the betterment of the Fire & Police Commission and how it works,” said Spencer to the committee. “More broadly, my goal is to really shift the narrative and thought process in Milwaukee around what public safety is.”

She said it was unfair to put the burden of public safety entirely on first responders.

Spencer is currently the senior program manager for the justice team at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a national coalition focused on civil and human rights. The nominee said she manages the agency’s policing portfolio. She previously spent nearly a decade at Milwaukee-based public safety nonprofit Safe & Sound in various leadership positions.

“I miss serving the city of Milwaukee,” she told the committee.

Spencer, a resident of the city’s East Side, said her work at Safe & Sound gives her a unique perspective on public safety because of its close connections to both MPD and the community.

“Mrs. Spencer is well qualified to represent the public in this role,” said FPC executive director Leon W. Todd, III.

Alderman Jose G. Perez asked for her thoughts on the size of the police force. The council has backed a study that would identify the right sworn strength level.

“It’s very difficult to know what the right size of the police department is without a study like that,” said Spencer. “I have not seen it. I am excited to see it.”

She said the commission would benefit from better communication with the council. The commission sets the policies of the department, but the council controls the budget.

“I’m glad you said that,” said Perez. “We really need some better collaboration.”

FPC commissioners are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council, but beyond that do not report to either entity. In recent years, the council has voted on policy proposals that amount to asking the FPC to do something.

In response to a question from Ald. Scott Spiker, Spencer said it was also important for a civilian oversight board to prioritize community feedback.

“Let me just state for the record another excellent nominee is before us,” said Ald. Mark Borkowski. “The ship has been right and it continues.”

Spencer would be the seventh member of the commission, filling the seat vacated by retired firefighter Everett Cocroft. He moved to Las Vegas in late 2021.

Her appointment would leave only a single member, Fred Crouther, who was on the board during the botched 2020 demotion of police chief Alfonso Morales. Crouther’s term expires in 2024. The council rejected the reappointment of one member and then-Mayor Tom Barrett elected to nominate replacements for the other members as their terms expired.

Spencer was nominated in February by Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

The committee voted 5-0 to recommend Spencer’s appointment be adopted. The full council is scheduled to meet on March 22.

Commissioners serve in a part-time capacity, earning $6,600 per year for participating in regularly-scheduled, evening meetings. They are appointed for a five-year term.

How Many FPC Commissioners Should There Be?

One longstanding sore spot between the council and Barrett was his handling of the commission’s state-authorized nine slots. It has never had more than seven members since the state increased the maximum size of the board nearly a decade ago.

Spencer was the first appointee of Johnson, who has served as mayor since late December.

“Is there a plan to get to nine?” asked Perez.

Todd said he couldn’t speak for Johnson’s intention. “I am supportive personally of going to nine members,” said the director. He said it would make committees function better.

Johnson, who faces an April 5 election, included filling the commission with nine members in his January public safety proposal. A spokesperson for Johnson said the acting mayor is “committed” to following through on that proposal and that the process to do so is underway.

Adding new members is a multi-step effort, including identifying individuals, confirming their interest aligns with what the part-time job entails, performing a background check and securing council confirmation.