Johnson nominates Bree Spencer to FPC
Pick would be only one not appointed by Barrett
Milwaukee’s mayoral primary election is a week away, but already Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson is trying to put his stamp on the city’s Fire and Police Commission.
Johnson nominated Bree Spencer to the commission Tuesday. If confirmed she would be the only commissioner not appointed by former Mayor Tom Barrett.
Spencer is a former longtime employee with Safe & Sound, a nonprofit that focuses on facilitating relationships between community members and law enforcement.
After more than nine years there, Spencer in March 2021 joined the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human
Rights, a national coalition of civil rights groups.
A statement from Johnson’s office called Spencer “a respected authority on law enforcement and its interactions with residents.”
“Her knowledge and her experience are a great complement to the commission membership,” Johnson said in a statement. “She will bring both practical and objective perspectives to the group’s business.”
Fire and Police Commissioners are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the Common Council. As president of the Common Council, Johnson became acting mayor in December 2021 following Tom Barrett’s resignation to become the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg.
As acting mayor, Johnson would not be allowed to participate in votes to confirm Spencer. Since taking over the mayor’s office, he has not participated in
Common Council meetings, which have instead been chaired by Ald. Michael Murphy.
Johnson is one of seven candidates on the ballot in the city’s Feb. 15 primary election. The general election is April 5.
If confirmed, Spencer would replace Everett Cocroft, the former vice chair of the commission who resigned last November after his family decided to move to Las Vegas.
Spencer is the policing program manager for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Among her positions at Safe & Sound, she acted as the director of community programs and neighborhood safety coordinator.
She also worked with community prosecution units, meaning she collaborated with police and community members to identity quality of life issues.
Spencer holds a master’s degree in public administration from Syracuse University.
Her inclusion would bring the commission to its typical number of seven commissioners, when state law allows up to nine.
Johnson is among a host of community members and officials who have called for a full nine-member commission.
Jeff Fleming, the spokesperson for the mayor’s office, said Johnson remains supportive of having a ninemember commission but there is no timeline for nominating an eighth and ninth member.
The calls to expand the size of the commission grew louder after the ouster of former Police Chief Alfonso Morales without due process in 2020, which eventually led to the city paying him $627,000 in settlement payments and just under $60,000 to an outside attorney hired to represent the city in the matter.
Commissioner Fred Crouther is the only remaining commissioner who participated in the vote to oust Morales. His term ends in 2024.