Whom to select as Milwaukee’s acting police chief?

Commission to choose candidate who might serve for up to a year

Before the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission picks a permanent successor for outgoing Police Chief Edward Flynn, it must select an acting chief.

That person could lead the department for up to a year, given the timing of Flynn’s retirement and the length of time it took for the last chief search.

Flynn announced his retirement Monday, giving six weeks’ notice before his last day on Feb. 16.

His predecessor, Nannette Hegerty, provided 11 months’ notice. The commission conducted a national search in that timeframe, appointing Flynn on Nov. 15, 2007. He was sworn in the following January.

In a statement Monday, the Fire and Police Commission said it would select an acting chief from within the department “after a process” and is expected to discuss that Thursday during a closed session.

The board is seeking candidates familiar with department structure, who have the confidence and trust of officers and the wider community, and who “possess a vision of a 21st century Milwaukee Police Department,” according to the commission’s statement.

Here’s a look at likely candidates for the acting chief job:

Assistant Chief James Harpole

Under the current chain-of-command, Harpole has served as acting chief when Flynn is away and has routinely appeared before the Fire and Police Commission and Common Council on the chief’s behalf.

He was among five finalists for the chief’s post when it was last open in 2008 and was considered an internal favorite at the time.

Harpole first joined the department as a police aide more than 30 years ago, becoming an officer in 1987 and rising through the ranks. He served as captain of Police District 3, where he was well-liked by residents for his responsiveness, transparency and habit of taking neighborhood walks.

He currently leads the Neighborhood Patrol Bureau, which includes all seven police districts and the Neighborhood Task Force.

Captain Alfonso Morales

Morales currently runs the department’s Project Safe Neighborhood High-Value Target program, which focuses on prolific gun offenders in the city.

He is among five finalists to replace David A. Clarke Jr. as Milwaukee County sheriff and is one of three candidates recommended to the White House to serve as U.S. Marshal for Wisconsin’s eastern district.

He joined the department in 1993, later working as a detective and leader of the gang crimes and homicides units. He also spent nearly a decade as the department’s crisis negotiator commander.

In 2013, Morales was promoted to commander of Police District 2 on the city’s near south side where he enjoyed broad support among his district’s residents.

Sixteen years ago, Morales was involved in a dramatic scene in a Milwaukee County courtroom where he shot and killed an armed murder suspect who had made a desperate attempt to escape, grabbing and firing a deputy’s gun.

Inspector Jutiki Jackson

Jackson currently serves under Harpole in the Neighborhood Patrol Bureau. He was hired by the department in November 1992 and was promoted to captain in 2016. He served as captain for Police District 7 on the city’s northwest side.

Jackson was a guiding force in the creation of the faith-based initiative in the district, which paved the way for the department’s Salvation Army chaplaincy partnership.

Jackson was serving as the district’s commander when his officers were first at the scene of the fatal shooting of 5-year-old Laylah Petersen in November 2014. Two months later, Laylah’s family presented a plaque of thanks to Jackson and those officers.

Capt. Raymond Banks

Banks is the commander of the department’s Office of Community Outreach and Education, which runs the police ambassador program, citizens academy and dozens of other efforts aimed to connect officers with residents.

He was hired in 1991 after working for one year as a Wisconsin State Patrol trooper. He worked in District 7, the North Investigations Division and the Investigative Management Division before he was promoted to captain in 2016.

Banks has taken an active role in minority recruitment for the department and community activities, including the city-run Warning basketball league. One of his formative experiences growing up in Milwaukee was losing one of his best friends to gunfire at age 14.

Other candidates: Several other Police Department leaders who have risen through the ranks could be considered, including Inspectors Terrence Gordon and Leslie Thiele who oversee the Risk Management Bureau and Inspector Thomas Stigler who is in charge of the Investigations and Intelligence Bureau.