Milwaukee, WI
Strong support for Milwaukee police chief’s reappointment signaled from hiring body
Milwaukee police chief, sheriff keep some Brady list officers employed
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman and Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball explain why officers who land on the Brady list can remain employed.
As his contract comes up for renewal, Milwaukee’s police chief received strong signals of support early in his rehiring process.
Almost all of the city’s Fire and Police Commission, the oversight body that handles hiring of the police chief, signaled they were in support of Police Chief Jeffrey Norman’s rehiring. The commission is slated to make its final decision on Norman’s reappointment June 26.
“He’s one of the best qualified chiefs I’ve ever known,” said Miriam Horwitz, the commission’s chair.
With seven of the commission’s nine members in attendance at the meeting, six said they were in support of rehiring Norman, who did not attend the commission meeting. Norman’s current contract expires Nov. 15.
Norman previously told the Journal Sentinel he would take an offer, if the commission extended it to him.
“I believe our department has made great strides,” Norman said at the time. “I desire to continue to build upon that.”
The commission’s support follows Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson saying he was in support of rehiring the chief as well.
At the June 5 meeting, activist Vaun Mayes and Levi Stein, president of the Friendship Circle of Wisconsin, said they were in support of Norman’s rehiring as well.
Mayes, who leads the organization Community Task Force, said a past police chief indicated he would talk with community groups, regardless of their support, and that did not happen. Norman has done that consistently, he said.
With the Fire and Police Commission no longer having policymaking power for the city’s police department due to a 2023 state law, Mayes said it was important to maintain Norman’s place in Milwaukee’s department.
After that law, called Act 12, was passed, Norman elected to move a new bodycam footage release policy forward, despite opposition from the city’s police union.
“I am very afraid of the wrong person coming in with that kind of power and what they could and couldn’t do,” Mayes said.
Norman, who is in his 29th year in law enforcement, has spent his entire policing career with the city’s department.
He was hired as acting chief of the department in 2020 and named police chief the following year, following the retirement of another acting chief and the controversial removal of former chief Alfonso Morales in 2020.
The Milwaukee native was first hired in 1996 and served as a lieutenant in the homicide unit and captain of District 3, which includes parts of the central city and west side.
Norman was hired as chief, in part, due to his track record of community engagement.
Since being named chief, Norman has led the department through the crime spikes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, heavy local and state policy change after George Floyd’s murder prompted national outrage and policing during the Republican National Convention.
Rocky periods have occurred during his tenure.
During the Republican National Convention, he and the department came under scrutiny after Columbus, Ohio, police officers shot and killed Sam Sharpe Jr. The officers, who did not face charges in the shooting, shot him about a mile from the convention’s perimeter after the officers saw Sharpe appear to move toward another man while wielding knives.
The officers were not accompanied by local police, which top department officials previously indicated any out-of-state officers would be in the lead-up to the convention. After the shooting, Norman later acknowledged local officers should have been with the Ohio police officers.
The department also came under scrutiny for its handling of events in the lead-up to the homicide of Bobbie Lou Schoeffling. Schoeffling, a 31-year-old mother of two, had been reporting abuse and threats from her ex-boyfriend.
Schoeffling was found shot to death on July 26, 2022. Her ex-boyfriend, Nicholas Howell, was convicted of killing Schoeffling last year and sentenced to life in prison.
Norman initially declined an interview with the Journal Sentinel into the department’s handling of the case but after the new organization published an investigation into her death, he ordered a review of every contact the department had with Schoeffling. The review led to the suspension of four officers.
“We have recognized our shortcomings and we, I believe, have a proven track record of … being open to feedback and working with the communities,” Norman said at the time he opened the review.
In 2024, Norman was a finalist for the police chief position in Austin, Texas, but was ultimately passed on for the role. At that time, a department spokesperson said Norman remained “steadfast” in his commitment to Milwaukee.
The chief previously declined to tell the Journal Sentinel in May whether he has applied for other jobs as his term approaches its end in Milwaukee. He said he was focused on reappointment locally.
Norman’s pay appears to have been negotiated in the months leading up to his reappointment discussions. The Fire and Police Commission’s executive committee has met in closed session four times regarding senior law enforcement pay.
While the city of Milwaukee’s Common Council sets the pay range for the chief of police position, the Fire and Police Commission ultimately selects what the salary is in that range.
Leon Todd, the commission’s executive director, said he could not address what was discussed in those meetings.
Norman made a gross salary of $177,112.44 in 2024, according to the city’s online pay databases.
The Fire and Police Commission will hold two public comment sessions for Norman’s rehiring before the June 26 vote.
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com.
MILWAUKEE — Oscar-nominated actor Hugh Jackman will be visiting the Badger State in the coming weeks for his upcoming film “Song Sung Blue.”
The film, starring Jackman and Kate Hudson, is based on an iconic Milwaukee Neil Diamond tribute band called Lightning & Thunder.
Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina (left) and Kate Hudson as Claire Stengl (right) in director Craig Brewer’s “Song Sung Blue,” a Focus Features release. (Focus Features)
Mike Sardina was the “Lightning” while Claire Stengl was the “Thunder.” As the film’s description suggests, the two found love while following their musician dreams. They performed in the Midwest throughout the 80s and 90s and also opened for some major bands. They later married. Mike Sardina died in 2006.
Now, with the film about their lives and careers gearing up to play in theaters, there will be a special appearance in Cream City.
Hugh Jackman in director Craig Brewer’s “Song Sung Blue,” a Focus Features release. (Focus Features)
Because of the film’s roots, a premiere will take place at The Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee, 2230 N Farwell Ave, on Dec. 2.
During the hometown premiere, Jackman and the writer and director of the film, Craig Brewer, will attend.
Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina (left) and Kate Hudson as Claire Stengl (right) in director Craig Brewer’s “Song Sung Blue,” a Focus Features release. (Focus Features)
“Song Sung Blue” will start playing in theaters on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2025. The film also stars Michael Imperioli, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, Hudson Hensley with Fisher Stevens and Jim Belushi.
Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival
MILWAUKEE – Downtown Milwaukee will glow again this holiday season with the 27th annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival, kicking off on Thursday, Nov. 20.
What we know:
The six-week event, presented by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 and Johnson Financial Group, begins at 6:30 p.m. at Pere Marquette Park with live performances, treats and a firework show. The festival runs through Jan. 1, 2026.
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The main program includes DJ Mr. NY, characters from Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s “A Christmas Carol,” Anita’s Dance Center, The Squeezettes, select cast members from Cirque du Soleil’s “‘Twas the Night Before…,” Marquette University’s Gold ’n Blues, Christopher Gilbert, Willow Newell – Miss Wisconsin and Jenny Thiel.
Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival
Santa and Mrs. Claus are also scheduled to appear.
Fireworks are planned for shortly before 7 p.m., followed by free cocoa, cookies and complimentary Jingle Bus rides operated by KB Excursions.
After the kickoff, residents and visitors can view light displays coordinated by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 through Jan. 1. Four downtown parks will feature themed installations: “Community Spirit Park” at Cathedral Square Park, “Santa’s Celebration Square powered by We Energies” at Zeidler Union Square, “¡Felices Fiestas!” at Pere Marquette Park and “Slice of Ice Lights” at Red Arrow Park.
Dig deeper:
Street decorations will line several downtown corridors, including an 18-block stretch of silver and gold chandeliers over Wisconsin Avenue.
The Jingle Bus, a 40-minute narrated tour of downtown holiday sights, will operate Fridays through Sundays from Dec. 5 to 28. Tours depart from the festival’s new Warming House at Red Arrow Park, 920 N. Water St. Tickets are $8 per person, with advance purchases encouraged.
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The Ornament Trail will also return this year, with 20 ornaments hand-painted by locally or nationally renowned artists with Milwaukee ties. The Ornament Trail will run from Thursday through Jan. 18.
More information about the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival and Jingle Bus tickets is available on the festival website.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News, with information from Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21.
MILWAUKEE — Neighbors of Dyer Playfield on Milwaukee’s west side and Milwaukee Public Schools voiced strong opposition to a potential lease agreement between the city and nearby Pius XI Catholic High School for enhanced athletic facilities at a Tuesday MPS committee meeting on Accountability, Finance, and Personnel.
“I’m firmly opposed to this partnership and lease agreement,” Warren said during public comment.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Community members shape conversation on Pius XI’s interest in Dyer Playfield in MKE
The concept would allow Pius XI to work with the City of Milwaukee and the MPS Recreation Department to provide upgraded facilities at the park. The Catholic high school already uses the fields for some of its athletics programs.
Pius XI President Jack Herbert spoke Tuesday and stressed a long history of collaboration with MPS and the city, and assured the board that community access would remain a priority under any agreement.
Watch: Milwaukee neighbors oppose Pius XI’s interest in long-term lease for Dyer Playfield
Proposed leased agreement meets opposition
“Any path forward will prioritize an upgraded welcoming recreation space that our neighbors, our students, and the broader community can continue to enjoy for generations to come,” Herbert said.
However, several community members expressed concerns about privatizing public space. Those who spoke also noted that Dyer is already well-utilized, going against claims that it’s underutilized.
Magnus, a neighborhood resident, argued against a long-term lease agreement.
“I don’t believe the land should be used for private use. The neighborhood does use it,” Magnus said.
The park is owned by the City of Milwaukee and operated by Milwaukee Recreation, a department within Milwaukee Public Schools. Sue, a frequent user of Dyer Playfield and a Pius XI graduate, believes the community should have input on any future changes.
“It makes most sense to let the rec department maintain control of Dyer field in a fair and collaborative process to reimagine it, to carry that out,” Sue said.
MPS Recreation has a proven model for revitalizing playfields through extensive community engagement – usually a 3-year process from planning to completion.
Several board members expressed opposition to a 100-year lease or any private control that undermines equitable public access.
MPS Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius told board members that MPS would not consider a new lease agreement for Pius XI, emphasizing the district’s Long Range Facilities Master Plan must guide future land-use decisions.
She said no specific lease terms have been shared with the district at this time.
Alderwoman Sharlen Moore is revisiting the concept to have Pius XI take a more active role in the park and plans to bring the conversation to the Milwaukee Common Council.
Residents emphasized that a collaborative approach involving all stakeholders would best serve the community’s interests.
“Pius could certainly be part of that process, along with the neighbors and visitors and frequent users of Dyer,” Sue said.
Moore stressed that discussions are in early stages and that the community will be included in any future conversations about the playfield’s development.
This story was reported on-air by Mike Beiermeister and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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