Help wanted: Can the Milwaukee Police Department solve its hiring problem?

The pace of recruitment is also slow this year, with the number of officer departures once again outpacing the number of new police recruits.

The city also risks missing out on mandates requiring an increase in the number of police officers in the city under Wisconsin’s Act 12 funding law, or facing millions of dollars in fines. Act 12 created opportunities to impose local sales taxes to pump more money into the budget and offset rising costs.

“I don’t have a problem with the mandate because I think we need more police officers on the streets,” Westmoreland said. “At the same time, you can’t force people to apply for the job.”

Recruitment challenges and struggles

Westmoreland said Milwaukee is among a number of large cities facing similar hiring challenges, including competition from better-paying suburban police departments with less dangerous work environments.

“We can’t use this as a crutch,” Westmoreland said. “We need to be creative in our approach to recruiting.”

Todd said the Fire and Police Commission has made several adjustments in recent years to find new police officers, including hiring two staff members for recruiting, attending more community events and job fairs and increasing marketing efforts to city residents.

“One of the things we’ve tried to do is highlight the officers’ stories to make it clear to residents that they are people who care about the community and want to help make it safer,” Todd said.

The commission now accepts applications all year round instead of in shorter time frames of a few months. Additionally, the testing process was changed to allow online entrance exams, removing additional hurdles for applicants.

Changes since the pandemic and unrest

Kristine Rodriguez, a deputy with the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office who also supports recruiting efforts, said her organization is facing similar challenges to MPD, especially since COVID and the George Floyd protests.

“Some of the things that happened during that time still affect people,” she said.

She said pay is also an issue, with suburban departments offering hiring bonuses and higher starting salaries. They also sometimes work fewer hours, she said, because staffing shortages can lead to mandatory overtime and fewer days off.

The current starting salary for MPD recruits is $47,673.69, increasing to $63,564.75 upon graduation from the academy. Police officers can earn up to $84,743.87, while supervisors and other specialists can earn more.

“Under the microscope”

Another potential deterrent, Rodriguez said, is checking officers today.

“You’re under scrutiny 24/7 and that could deter some candidates,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said her department places a high value on community engagement, cultural competency and mental health training and that its relationship with the community has improved. She said the job itself was extremely fulfilling.

“We know our hearts are in the right place, and that’s what makes the job most rewarding, doing good things for the community,” she said.

Others weigh in

Gregory Barachy, who has worked for the Milwaukee Fire Department for 29 years, said he believes being a police officer is probably less desirable today because of the danger and lack of responsibility for those who commit crimes.

“Crime is insane here, car theft is an epidemic and the driving that goes with it,” Barachy said. “And then when you arrest someone, they are released without penalty to do it again. Why would anyone want to risk their life for this?”

Barachy, who recently took a job with the Milwaukee Overdose Response Initiative, said the fire department has also seen a huge decline in applicants.

“This time we only had a list of 250, whereas 20 years ago there were 10,000,” he said.

Carla Jones, whose partner was mistakenly considered a suspect and was arrested by Brookfield police in November 2023, said she believes fewer people want to become police officers due to a lack of support.

“One of the main reasons people are becoming less likely to join law enforcement is a lack of morale or a lack of support from officers,” Jones said. “They don’t do that because they work on a reactive mentality.”

A call to disinvest

Devin Anderson is membership and campaign director for the African American Roundtable, which launched the Liberate MKE campaign in 2019 to push for divestment in law enforcement and more investment in community programs.

“To build a fairer Milwaukee, we must defund police and law enforcement,” Anderson said. “We would rather see fully funded libraries.”

Anderson said residents want more security and that some see policing as the only way to achieve that. But, he said, creating a safer city requires addressing the root causes of crime, which police are not doing.

“They react when something happens,” Anderson said. “What people actually want is more investment in their neighborhood.”

Test a challenge

Two years ago, Eddie Juarez-Perez saw an ad seeking new cadets for the Milwaukee Police Department.

“I decided to answer the call for service,” he said.

Juarez-Perez applied and passed the background check, written and physical exams. But he failed the psychological test that all potential recruits had to pass.

“They said I wasn’t suitable for the position,” Juarez-Perez said.

He doesn’t give up.

“I look at being a police officer as being a public servant,” Juarez-Perez said. “I love my city and want to help ensure that people here have a good quality of life.”

Rodriguez said she is working to recruit more women into law enforcement. However, some are unable to meet the physical requirements required to join, she said.

“I think that’s definitely a barrier for a lot of women who don’t have upper body strength or don’t have time to exercise,” she said.

MPD hosts fit camps and other support to help prospective cadets meet the physical and testing requirements for the officer career.

“We try to give people the best opportunity to prepare and be successful,” Todd said.

More information

The Fire and Police Commission is recruiting for its next academy cohort.