MILWAUKEE – County Executive David Crowley hosted a roundtable discussion on Monday, Jan. 26, to highlight Milwaukee County’s Credible Messenger Program, which aims to improve public safety and support local youth involved in the justice system through expanding mentorship, resources, and job opportunities.

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County Executive Crowley was joined by Credible Messenger partners, local leaders, and representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to discuss how to continue addressing public safety challenges through community violence intervention initiatives, youth engagement efforts, and greater partnership with state and federal leaders.

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman is facing criticism after it was revealed he recently attended a counterterrorism training program in Israel, prompting public backlash during a Fire and Police Commission meeting.

What we know:

The Milwaukee Police Department said Norman was out of the office from Dec. 1 through Dec. 7 while participating in a homeland security program in Israel. The trip drew sharp criticism during Thursday’s Fire and Police Commission meeting, where speakers questioned the timing and implications of the training.

For more than two hours, residents spoke before the commission, calling out Norman for attending the program amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

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“For this police chief in this political climate when there’s a genocide happening right now, to go learn tactics to further oppress our communities, is shameful,” said Angela Lang, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities.

One Fire and Police Commission member also apologized publicly to residents.

“I called this trip unconscionable and I believe that with my chest,” said Krissie Fung. “I think that for many Milwaukeeans this is not something they will ever forgive.”

What they’re saying:

Norman sat quietly in the front row during the meeting. He later released a statement defending the trip:

“At last night’s Fire and Police Commission meeting, members of the community and various organizations shared their concerns regarding my recent training trip to Israel. I want to sincerely thank everyone who took the time to express their thoughts and experiences.

Community feedback is invaluable, and I do not take it lightly. I am honored to serve a diverse community—one that includes a wide range of perspectives.

In 2025, I was invited to participate in the Homeland Security Program in Israel, sponsored by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA). This program, established after 9/11, facilitates the exchange of best practices between U.S. law enforcement and leading counterterrorism experts. Given today’s global security challenges, I viewed this as an important opportunity to learn strategies for preventing and responding to terrorism—knowledge that ultimately enhances the safety of the entire community I serve.

As a leader, I believe in lifelong learning. Every experience, including the feedback I received last night, is part of that journey. I want to assure you that your comments were heard and taken seriously.”

Dig deeper:

The training program was led by retired FBI Assistant Director Steven Pomerantz, who said the program began in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks and is not political in nature.

“There was no political tones to it, no connection to the military,” Pomerantz said. “It’s all about law enforcement.” 

Pomerantz said Israeli national police have extensive experience dealing with terrorism and have shared lessons learned with U.S. law enforcement for years.

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“The Israel national police had more experience than any other police agency in the world dealing with terrorism and a lot of lessons they had learned over the years that they were willing to share with American law enforcement,” he said.

The program is limited to local law enforcement leaders, including sheriffs, police chiefs and commissioners. Pomerantz said participants learn how agencies in Israel share and analyze information to prevent terrorist attacks.

“What he learned in Israel and what he’s implemented since he’s been back, makes the people of Milwaukee safer,” Pomerantz said.

Another question raised during the meeting was who paid for the trip. MPD said the training is run by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.

The question everyone asks when a trade like this happens is pretty simple: Was this the right move for the team?

Some deals cut a little deeper, and this one definitely feels like one of those.

But this is how the Milwaukee Brewers operate, regardless of whether you agree with the strategy. On Wednesday, the Crew traded ace right-hander Freddy Peralta. They sent him and an expendable piece, right-hander Tobias Myers, to the New York Mets for two of their top-five prospects: infielder-outfielder Jett Williams and right-handed starter Brandon Sproat.

One of the first negative reactions I saw on social media was something from a national baseball writer to the effect of “The Brewers, not the Dodgers, are ruining baseball because they can’t afford $8 million.”

That is certainly a take. Very wrong, but certainly a take.

The Brewers were more than willing to pay Peralta $8 million for 2026. The reason behind the trade is what comes after 2026. No, I’m not talking about whatever happens related to a lockout or strike or anything related to the collective bargaining agreement.

Instead, it has to do with Peralta’s future. He will be a free agent following the 2026 World Series. Peralta enters his age-30 season in a prime position to cash in. After a team-friendly five-year, $15.5 million contract extension that then became a seven-year, $31.6 million deal with two club options that bought out two free-agent years, Peralta is due a payday. He has earned it. Remember that Peralta came to the Brewers as one of three wild cards as they dealt first baseman Adam Lind to the Seattle Mariners following the 2015 season. Peralta hadn’t played any higher than the complex league in Arizona at that point and was 19 years old when he joined the Crew.

In the 10 years since, Peralta has been a self-made pitcher. Sure, the Brewers gave him all the tools they could, but it was Peralta who put in the work and rose from obscurity to MLB All-Star and Cy Young Award contender. And the Brewers reaped the benefits of that and took advantage of the salary-suppression system MLB employs to get more value out of their investment in Peralta. No longer is he Fastball Freddy, the youngster who could only throw a variety of fastballs. Now he features three offspeed pitches in a changeup, slider, and curveball to go along with a four-seam fastball.

Since his stunning 13-strikeout MLB debut on that Mother’s Day in Colorado in 2018, Peralta has been an integral part of the Brewers’ success. Since joining the rotation full-time at the beginning of the 2021 season, Peralta has been a rock in the rotation, even if he wasn’t spectacular for most of that. He started 139 of 141 games with a FIP of 3.65, an ERA of 3.30, and an ERA+ of 126. That ERA+ means Peralta was 26% above the average MLB pitcher. That number was certainly boosted by his 2025 performance, where he posted a 154 ERA+ and finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting.

The Brewers’ philosophy of baseball business is not to overpay. They don’t want to hand out exorbitant salaries that could weigh down their roster at the back end. The Brewers are approaching that situation with Christian Yelich, who has three more years at about $24 million each before a mutual option at $20 million for 2029 (those are usually declined). Peralta will certainly clear what Yelich, technically the Crew’s highest-paid player*, is making, perhaps even approach $30 million a year. It is his market value at this moment. The Brewers would have given Peralta a qualifying offer (probably around $23 million for 2027), which he would have declined and netted the Brewers one single draft pick.

That was the situation Brandon Woodruff was in this offseason. Woodruff accepted the qualifying offer and returned on a $22.025 million contract for 2026. That is on top of the $10 million mutual option buyout the Crew paid Woodruff instead of a $20 million contract. So Woodruff is really making $32.025 million this season* (thus the mythical highest-paid Brewers player).

Could the Brewers afford Peralta’s $8 million for 2026? Of course. That was never in question. But the Brewers, like they did with closer Josh Hader, starter Corbin Burnes, and closer Devin Williams, sold high on the player in question. Burnes netted shortstop Joey Ortiz, left-hander DL Hall, and a draft pick that resulted in first baseman Blake Burke from the Baltimore Orioles. Williams brought back third baseman Caleb Durbin and left-handed starter Nestor Cortes.

Hall hasn’t panned out yet, and Cortes flamed out due to injury. Ortiz and Durbin are the starting left side of the infield. Time will tell on Jett Williams and Sproat, but their pedigree is higher than that of the others acquired in those other two deals. This is how the Brewers churn their talent. This is part of the secret sauce they have used to win three straight NL Central titles.

I am on record as saying Peralta was the perfect player for the Brewers to invest in. He epitomizes what they do, taking a ball of clay and molding it into something useful.

But I also understand the Brewers’ philosophy and agree with it to a certain extent. Players should get paid what they are worth, and teams also have the right not to make a bad investment. Hader cashed in. Devin Williams got his payday. So did Burnes, who then got hurt. Peralta, barring the unforeseen, will get his next offseason.

Just not from the Brewers, who sold Peralta at his peak and now instead have two good prospects, bolstering an already-burgeoning farm system.

Was this the right move for the team?

Yes, it was.