Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman not selected for top police job in Austin, Texas

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman was not selected for the police chief job in Austin, Texas on Friday.

That comes after the Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax announced that they were moving forward with Lisa Davis, an assistant chief in Cincinnati. Norman was one of two finalists, along with Davis.

“The Chief of Police is a critical position for any city and, as I’ve said since joining the City of Austin in early May, identifying a permanent police chief was a top priority for me,” Broadnax said, according to the Austin American-Statesman. “I appreciate the invaluable feedback I’ve received, which has helped inform my decision. I have elected to move Chief Davis forward for confirmation.”

The two had been named as finalists on July 16. In an interview that day, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said it would be a loss for the city if Norman left but added that he had “nothing but respect” for the chief.

If Norman had received the Austin position, he would have ended a four-year tenure as Milwaukee’s top cop that began when he was named the department’s acting chief in 2020 and permanent chief the next year.

Norman stressed community collaboration when answering questions in Austin

Last week marked the first time Norman spoke publicly about his interest in the Austin position. On Tuesday, he answered questions from reporters in Austin as the city hosted both finalists.

He referenced his experience in Milwaukee at times and also noted his role on the board of trustees of the Boys and Girls Club of Milwaukee when responding to a question about working with youth.

He was also asked what tools he could bring from Milwaukee to Austin and Norman emphasized community engagement as an “interchangeable tool.”

At one point, Norman said he was not new to the types of challenges that he would face in Austin.

“The things I’ve dealt with in regards to my respective department has been a labor of love,” he said. “But through collaboration, great team members, supportive community and the electeds, things can happen when we all work together.”

Norman has long career with the Milwaukee Police Department

Norman, a Milwaukee native, was hired in 1996 by the Milwaukee police and steadily rose through the ranks, serving as a lieutenant in the homicide unit and later a captain of District 3, which includes parts of the central city and west side.

In 2020, he became assistant chief and later that year was appointed as acting chief, following the retirement of another acting chief and the controversial removal of former chief Alfonso Morales in 2020.

The next year, Norman was named the chief of police for the department after a tumultuous 15-month search for the city. He was the second Black man to be named permanent police chief, after Arthur Jones, who was chief from 1996 to 2003.

Norman has emphasized community relations and led the department through the COVID-19 pandemic, when crime rose across the country and in Milwaukee. He also worked with the mayor’s office to start the city’s traffic safety unit, designed to reduce reckless driving in Milwaukee.

This year, crime in Milwaukee has largely dropped across many categories but still outpaces 2019 levels.

Skye Seipp of the Austin American-Statesmen staff contributed to this report.