Milwaukee’s police chief is up for a second term — and he and the mayor want it to happen.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman’s reappointment is set to be discussed at a May 15 meeting of the Fire and Police Commission, the hiring body for the city’s fire and police chiefs. That committee will vote on Norman’s reappointment at a later date, a news release said.
If a reappointment offer is extended, Norman told the Journal Sentinel he would accept it.
“I believe our department has made great strides,” Norman said. “I desire to continue to build upon that.”
Norman would focus on building community trust — long an emphasis of his — and working on the city’s crime. He also said the department would continue to hold itself accountable under his possible reappointment.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson supports Norman’s reappointment, said Jeff Fleming, the mayor’s spokesperson. The two have a “solid working relationship,” he said.
“I am focused on reducing crime with both accountability and prevention measures. The police chief both supports — and adds to — those approaches,” the mayor said in an email through his spokesperson.
Norman’s current four-year term ends in November. The May 15 meeting is being held far in advance of the chief’s November term expiration to “ensure stability and continuity of leadership,” the news release said, citing Fire and Police Commission Chair Miriam Horwitz’s wishes.
Norman 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.
A Milwaukee native, he was hired in 1996 by the police department 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.
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 leading policing during the Republican National Convention.
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 declined to say whether he has applied for other jobs as his term approaches its end in Milwaukee. He said he was focused on reappointment locally.
“I’m focused on this particular process now and honored to serve another term,” Norman said.
The May 15 meeting will also discuss ways to gather community input before a final vote, according to the news release.
Norman was paid $177,112 in 2024, according to an online city salary database.
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Commission to discuss giving Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman a second term
Reporting by David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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