The Milwaukee Police Department is committed to working with our community and system partners to continue to build sustainable neighborhoods free of crime that are built on positive relationships.
Greetings Milwaukeeans,
First, I would like to take this opportunity to say how proud I am to represent the dedicated men and women of the Milwaukee Police Department as the Acting Police Chief.
As a life long resident of the City of Milwaukee and a public servant, my first priority is to address the impact of violent crime on this community. 2021 has been a challenging year in regards to homicides, non-fatal shootings and fatal crashes. It is imperative to address the violent crime and reckless driving in our city. I will continue to work with community organizations, elected officials and law enforcement partners to combat the increase of crime we are experiencing.
One of the most important steps in addressing crime is community engagement. We continue to work with the community proactively, rather than waiting for an invitation. We understand what community engagement means through meaningful dialogue with community stakeholders, city leaders, business owners, our neighbors, victims of crime and even suspects because this information is what enables us to be efficient and effective.
This summer has been full of exciting events in the City of Milwaukee. We have resumed our festivals, the Milwaukee Bucks became the 2021 NBA Champions and we have started to transition back to in-person learning. As we continue to focus on keeping Milwaukee safe while working together, you have my commitment to hold the members of the Milwaukee Police Department accountable for their actions no matter their rank or status. As Acting Chief, I am held to the same standard as anyone who works for this organization. We all adhere to our mission statement, our core values and our standard operating procedures in order to be trusted in the eyes of the people we serve.
My vision for this department is that every member of this organization works humanly with each other and all members of our community to build sustainable neighborhoods, free of crime, which are built on positive relationships. Working together to establish our goals and fully understanding them allows us to achieve success. This type of interaction, both internally and externally, is built on fairness, being genuine and operating with the utmost integrity, which, in turn, builds trust and openness. I embrace a culture that allows for courageous leaders to evolve on all levels and solidifies a team through truthful dialog while identifying paths to improvement.
In closing, please know I have faith that as a community we can work together to face head on the many challenges we are experiencing. We can combat crime through accountability, fairness, positive open relationships and integrity. Milwaukeeans are a strong, diverse culture that is not afraid to have tough conversations, work hard and stand up for a safe and inclusive city where all can live, work and succeed. Together, we can continue to have a safe and healthy 2021.
Thank you,
Acting Chief Jeffrey Norman