The Fire and Police Commission (FPC) held its regular session on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 5:30 PM in City Hall Room 301-B. The meeting featured a major update from the Milwaukee Police Department on the use of automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras from Flock Safety, extended public testimony largely opposing the technology, approval of a shift to periodic police officer recruitment, and adoption of several routine personnel appointments and promotions. The meeting adjourned at 9:49 PM.
Nineteen members of the public provided comment, nearly all opposing the continued use of Flock technology by MPD and calling for the contract to be canceled. Key speakers and their positions:
MPD presented a revision to the police officer job announcement bulletin, shifting from year-round continuous recruitment to three specific recruitment periods per year, each with a three-month application window and a month between. The change aims to improve administrative preparation and candidate follow-through. Commissioners voted to adopt the new bulletin (voice vote; no dissent).
Chief of Staff Heather Huff provided a detailed timeline of MPD's Flock usage beginning in May 2022, including two criminal cases of officer misuse (Ayala and Chapman). She outlined new guardrails after discussions with the Mayor's Office and Common Council:
Chief Norman joined virtually and defended ALPR as a valuable investigative tool, stating misuse is met with swift accountability (including terminations and criminal referrals). Commissioners expressed concern about Flock's corporate ethics and the lack of community input before deployment. Commissioner Fung pressed on audit specifics, data sharing with agencies that have 287(g) agreements, and the need for more transparent public reporting. No formal action was taken; the communication was placed on file.
Amendments to SOP 015 (Membership in Authorized Organizations) and the Crisis Negotiation Unit Standard Operating Instruction were placed on file. Changes include adding credit/debit card payment methods and updating the hostage negotiator training course from 40 to 32 hours. Commissioners asked for the rationale behind the training reduction.
Executive Director Leon Todd reported on FPC staffing: a new research and policy analyst and an investigator have been hired; the deputy director and emergency management director positions are vacant. Commissioners thanked staff and highlighted community engagement efforts.
Items 15–18 were voted on in a block roll call. All eight commissioners present voted in favor; none opposed. MPD Human Resources Manager April confirmed each candidate had been vetted and is qualified.
This is the September seventeenth, twenty twenty-six regular meeting of the Fire and Police Commission. Present are Commissioners Burgos, Evans, Fong, Remy Schneider, World Patterson, and myself, Commissioner Horwitz. We are expecting Commissioner Spence momentarily. And we have FPC staff who are waiting to hear this so that they can do their work. Immediately thereafter, we will take up item 10 on the agenda, which is a communication update from the Milwaukee Police Department related to the automatic license plate readers or ALPER cameras. We are going to hear from MPD initially and then hold their item for further action or communication while we have public comment. We thought that public comment would be more directed and perhaps more meaningful if we hear from the MPD first about what their current state of auditing and et cetera, you know, what what they can tell us. So, you know, normally we hear the public comment as our first order of business. We don't want to put this off, and we're sensitive to whether or not you can stay, but we don't think that the initial presentation by the department will be that long. And uh it's kind of a special circumstance because there's been a lot of information about other cities and other jurisdictions and flock, and we need to know what's going on with ours. Uh so can you speak up a little bit? Thank you. Okay. Was was I heard by everybody else? Could be louder. It could be louder. It could be louder. Okay, thank you. I will I will do that. Um with that said, Director, proceed with the agenda. Thank you, Madam Chair. We will begin, as you mentioned, with item nine, FPC 212699. Resolution relating to the approval of the police officer job announcement bulletin within the Milwaukee Police Department. Is there a member of um the staff to speak to this? Uh I I believe I can speak to it, and then if there's detailed questions, I don't know. We we uh we do have the staff. Uh as you know, we've been engaging in continuous police officer recruitment for some time now. Uh the commission had approved a prior uh job announcement bulletin for police officer recruitment at the beginning of this year. We would like to modify that process slightly. So instead of having continuous recruitment uh open all year long and having what is effectively uh three separate recruitment periods uh or at least uh recruitment time periods uh that correspond with you know future police officer classes of three per year. We would like to have three specific recruitment periods per year, each consisting of three months, um, and then have a a month in between uh where the application period is closed. And uh we believe this will be uh an improvement uh in a number of ways. One, it will give the staff uh some administrative uh time to reset and prepare for the next recruitment. Second, it will uh allow for clear, I believe, communication with candidates that if you apply within this specific recruitment period, you can expect to go into a specific class. Uh it'll also have, I believe, uh some added benefit of uh of creating uh a demand. Uh and uh that what during the uh uh periods when the application period is closed, and also I think it'll provide more incentive for candidates to follow through uh right now under continuous recruitment. Uh we are consistently moving people who do not show or uh or fail an exam component automatically to the next uh recruitment period. And I I think that can provide a little bit of a disincentive for people to follow through. This way uh people have a clear application period that corresponds with a specific class in the future. And if they don't follow through, they will then have to reapply for the next application period. Uh and uh our staff that is uh brilliant tells me that this will be an improvement, and uh I I trust their judgment and it makes sense to me, so that's why we're presenting uh this new uh uh I guess superseding job uh uh announcement bulletin. Okay, thank you. Because I I noticed in the file that it wasn't just the same old, same old. Yep. Um questions or comments by commissioners. Okay, do I have a motion? So move. Second. Okay, if no further discussion, I will take a voice vote on this matter. All in favor, please say aye.