MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission has announced the six finalists to replace former Chief Alfonso Morales. Commissioners narrowed the list down from 11 to 6 in closed session Thursday.
On the list are: Hoyt Mahaley an FBI agent and former MPD officer, Jason Lando from the Pittsburgh Police Bureau, Jeffery Norman an Assistant Chief in the Milwaukee Police Department and the only current employee on the list, Malik Aziz a Deputy Police Chief in Texas, Chris Davis A Deputy Police Chief in Portland, Oregon, and John Pate the Director of Public Safety in Oplocka, Florida.
One name not on the list is the current Acting Police Chief Michael Brunson. The Acting Chief said Thursday he plans to retire in December and help with the transition to the new police chief.
“I want to build as much as I can so when it comes time to hand that baton so to speak to that next person, that they will find an agency that is thriving and working towards building those relationships that are necessary,” said Brunson.
The Executive Director of the Commission Griselda Aldrete says of the search “we’re looking for a leader who can step up to the challenge especially in these trying times of policing in America today.”
The finalists have been notified they are a list of 6. The commissioners will have time to interview them each virtually during the next closed session of the Fire and Police Commission.
More about the finalists:
Mahaley - as part of his FBI career, he helped build a case against Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis for dealing cocaine. Lewis eventually pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal.
Lando - teaches implicit bias training for the Pittsburgh Police Department. Ethics reportedly came into question for starting a business on the side that taught similar training. A city ethics board later cleared Lando and other officers and allowed them to run the business with conditions.
Norman - a life-long resident of Milwaukee, he has been with the MPD since 1996 where he has served as a detective in robbery, violent crimes and homicide divisions. He was also the commander for District 3 and named assistant chief in 2020.
Aziz - was previously a finalist for the chief position in Birmingham, San Antonio, Memphis, Dallas, Fayetteville and Miami.
Davis - previously with the Arizona State University Police Department and has been out in front for the department in Portland during the recent unrest.
Pate - while serving as a police inspector, and deputy director at the Cook County Sheriff's Office, Pate was instrumental in decreasing death in custody incidents and reduced legal liability related to avoidable incidents. At University Park, Pate was also instrumental in the reduction in violent crime and property crime by allowing officers to transition into a proactive enforcement model compared to a reactive model.
Editor's Note: Earlier versions of this story omitted Jason Lando's clearing by a city ethic's board. The story has been updated to reflect this fact.
