Mayor Tom Barrett says he is confident the Milwaukee Police Department will effectively operate, despite no chief being selected until January.
“It’s not like there is a (leadership) vacuum at the police department,” Barrett told WTMJ’s Steve Scaffidi on Wednesday. “Chief Michael Brunson is there. He will have a deputy who will take over as an acting chief (when he retires). We have a strong command staff. I’m not worried about that.”
The city’s Fire & Police Commission is deadlocked 3-3 over the two finalists for police chief. A new commission member is expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
“Hopefully she will be in place by Jan. 7th and we can break that deadlock,” the mayor said. “We are witnessing democracy in action.”
The FPC is one of the strongest citizen advisory boards in the country. Barrett said he would prefer the city’s mayor choose the police chief, with confirmation by the Common Council.
“I would take that power in a heartbeat,” he explained. “I’m more than comfortable saying that’s how (Milwaukee) should do it.”