Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee police chief faces criticism over training trip to Israel
MKE Police Chief Norman criticized for Israel trip
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman is under scrutiny after attending counterterrorism training in Israel, as residents criticized the trip during a commission meeting and officials defended it as nonpolitical.
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 Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee shooting Wednesday; 1 wounded near 11th and Locust
Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)
MILWAUKEE – A shooting in Milwaukee on Wednesday, July 8 left one person wounded.
11th and Locust
What we know:
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, a 23-year-old was shot around 6:30 p.m. near 11th and Locust.
The victim arrived at the hospital for treatment.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting are under investigation.
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MPD tips
What you can do:
Milwaukee police are seeking information to identify a suspect in connection with this incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or P3 Tips.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Police Department.
Milwaukee, WI
‘Peace on Every Block’ brings Milwaukee community together to fight gun violence
Milwaukee community members gathered at pop-up events across the northwest side Wednesday as part of “Peace on Every Block,” a week of activities aimed at building community, mentorship and sharing resources for violence prevention.
The week is organized by Advance Peace Milwaukee, Milwaukee Community Cross Roads and Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services.
“We want to see everybody win, and that’s the whole theme about it, about healing, coming together, stopping the violence,” Desilynn Smith of Uniting Garden Homes said.
Lorenzo Davis of Advance Peace said the northwest side was a deliberate focus for the effort.
“Because this is where the gun violence is happening, and we’re trying to end the gun violence in the city of Milwaukee. We really want to do what’s best for Milwaukee,” Davis said.
The Milwaukee Police Department reported a 30 percent drop in homicides during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year. But community members say that progress doesn’t always reflect what people are experiencing on the ground.
Watch: ‘Peace on Every Block’ brings Milwaukee community together to fight gun violence
‘Peace on Every Block’ brings Milwaukee community together to fight gun violence
“The data doesn’t lie, that’s true, but when it’s like every day we’re hearing about a shooting, or we’re so connected to it, and so many people connected to it, it just doesn’t appear that way,” Smith said.
The events come as Milwaukee has seen several violent deaths in recent days. 42-year-old Kristy Syed was found shot to death on Milwaukee’s south side.
The Medical Examiner’s Office also identified 19-year-old Savannah Lynn, who was killed after gunfire broke out following a fight on the Fourth of July.
Nine-year-old Jade Riser died after a shooting that happened near East Burleigh Street last Thursday.
Smith said healing is central to any lasting change.
“If we don’t heal, we can’t stop anything, because violence is actually the secondary emotion that is really driven off a lot of pain,” Smith said.
Davis said the young people in these neighborhoods are ready for something better.
“They want to see a better inside Milwaukee. They want to see a better chance for Milwaukee, and they want to do something better for themselves. So, these kids out here, we promote peace with them, and we’re going to back them, and we want to see them win,” Davis said.
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Milwaukee, WI
Former Judge Hannah Dugan fined $5,000, won’t serve prison time, judge rules
MILWAUKEE — Former Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan won’t serve prison time or probation and has been fined $5,000, a judge determined on Wednesday during her sentencing hearing.
It comes after a jury found her guilty of obstruction last year for helping an immigrant evade federal agents.
During the hearing, Dugan’s defense team called two character witnesses to the stand to speak on her behalf, including Rev. Gregory J. O’Meara, who is also a Marquette University Law School faculty member, and Janine Geske, the retired director of the Andrew Center for Restorative Justice and a law professor at Marquette.
“Hannah models what it means to be a Christian,” O’Meara said.
Dugan herself also spoke for the first time since the case against her began.
She told U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman that she tried to “maintain a courtroom with the decorum and safety the public deserves.”
Dugan added her actions on April 18, 2025, when the incident occurred, were “not done with any malicious intent or to advance any personal interest.”
Wrapping up her remarks, Dugan said to the court she has been cast as a scofflaw and a hero, but considers herself neither of those things.
“I am a public servant who’s just trying to do my job,” Dugan said, adding that she has had to retire from public life due to threats against her and her family.
A prosecutor then acknowledged that “she has experienced collateral damage because of her conduct,” but said “judges can’t choose to disregard the law.”
Prosecutors argued that Dugan’s actions amounted to an “abuse of trust” and asked the court’s sentence to reflect that.
Adelman then spoke, saying Dugan made a bad decision and that he doesn’t believe prison is necessary.
“This is a few minutes of conduct for someone who has dedicated her life to public service,” the judge said. “It’s a marked deviation from an otherwise law-abiding life.”
He also noted that Dugan’s actions didn’t stop the ICE agents from arresting the defendant outside the courthouse.
In April of last year, federal agents showed up at the Milwaukee County Courthouse to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who had reentered the country illegally. On that particular day, he was appearing before Dugan’s courtroom for a state battery case.
Dugan confronted the federal agents in a hallway outside the courtroom and directed them to the chief judge’s office. Following that, she helped Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a private jury door. Agents eventually caught up to him outside the courthouse.
Dugan was later arrested and charged for her part in the incident, and she was found guilty of obstruction last December; she was acquitted on her concealment charge.
Her lawyers argued during her trial that President Donald Trump’s administration sought to “crush” Dugan in an effort to ensure judicial compliance with the ICE strategy of targeting immigrants as they showed up for court hearings.
Dugan resigned the Milwaukee County circuit judgeship she had held for nine years in January amid threats of impeachment from Republican state lawmakers who labeled her an activist judge. In her resignation letter, she said her prosecution threatened “the independence of our judiciary.”
Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who has the backing of Trump in his race for governor, urged authorities to “lock her up” in a social media post following her conviction.
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