MILWAUKEE — A new sheriff is in town.
Dr. Denita Ball was formally sworn-in as the 66th Milwaukee County Sheriff Friday morning.
The official swearing in of the new Milwaukee County Sheriff Dr. Denita Ball. Part 1. pic.twitter.com/msv54azZYH
— The Jason Smith (@thejsonsmith) January 6, 2023
Ball is making history becoming the first female Milwaukee County Sheriff and the first Black female sheriff in Wisconsin history in a ceremony slated for 11 a.m. at the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center.
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Ball spent 25 years with the Milwaukee Police Department. She retired from policing in 2011 but returned after then-Sheriff Lucas asked her to join his office as chief deputy. As chief deputy, she ran the day-to-day operations under Lucas, commanded areas like District 4, Sensitive Crime Division and Internal Affairs as well as implementing a neighborhood task force that led to crime reduction.
She worked as an instructor, subject area coordinator and as the director of the criminal justice program at Bryant & Stratton College. She was also an adjunct faculty instructor at Cardinal Stritch University. The same college she earned her Ph.D. in 2018.
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