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'My trust in University leadership is broken': UW-Milwaukee police chief resigns effective immediately

David Salazar
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MILWAUKEE — The UW-Milwaukee Police Chief, David Salazar, resigned on Thursday, saying he has lost confidence in the school's administration.

In a letter announcing his resignation, Salazar pointed to alleged anti-semitic incidents on campus that he claimed the university was reluctant to address.

He said his findings were supported by Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chia Vang but challenged by Head Legal Counsel Joely Urdan.

He also claimed that an investigation into allegations against him was biased and that the accusations were eventually dismissed. According to Salazar, he was falsely accused of surveilling a female police employee, which resulted in him being placed on administrative leave.

Related articles: UW-Milwaukee's Police Chief on Administrative leave (tmj4.com)

Salazar said he was notified two weeks ago that he is being investigated again for code of conduct violations.

"Despite my full cooperation, it has become obvious that the investigative process is corrupted, and the outcome is preordained," Salazar said. "After much contemplation, I have concluded that my trust in university leadership is broken."

According to the letter, his resignation is effective immediately.

This comes after UWM student groups were temporarily suspended on Wednesday for posting threatening anti-Semitic language on social media accounts.

A UWM spokesperson shared a statement with TMJ4 on Thursday, saying they are "deeply disappointed in David Salazar’s resignation through the media," adding that they learned about it through news reports.

The statement added that Salazar was the subject of a misconduct investigation that began in March and was in its final stages when he resigned publicly and "attacked the university in anticipation of the investigation’s outcome."

The spokesperson said his allegations are "gross misstatements and contrary to any facts."


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