Selection of next executive director of the Fire and Police Commission must involve community and must be transparent

With Griselda Aldrete, the current Fire and Police Commission executive director, announcing she will not seek reappointment to the position, we want to amplify the importance of moving forward in an open and transparent fashion with the process of selecting her successor.

We believe the selection of a new executive director should be taken very seriously amidst the recent issues with the Milwaukee Police Department, including incidents of questionable treatment of protestors during the George Floyd protests and marches, the death of Joel Acevedo allegedly at the hands of an off-duty police officer, the leaking of information pertaining to a sexual assault case, and the disturbing incident at a Milwaukee Fire Department station where a dark-skinned doll was seen hanging with a noose around its neck.

The FPC director is withdrawing in the midst of much needed reform and in this moment, listening to the community and finding the right person to fill this position to assist in ushering in the needed change should be the top priority. As such, we hope the next executive director is nominated quickly so we can begin the process of engaging the community and enacting the change that is needed.

We also believe it should be expected of the candidates for the executive director position to participate in community listening and feedback sessions where residents will have the chance to ask questions and engage in dialogue with them.

The goal is to fill the position with an individual who takes community concerns seriously and will hold the Milwaukee Police and Fire Departments accountable in working toward reforms and improvements, and we will work toward making the selection process one that is open, engaging, and transparent.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.