Fire and Police Commission reappoints Chief Jeffrey Norman amid public opposition over facial recognition and RNC policing

The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission on June 26, 2025, voted to reappoint Chief Jeffrey Norman to a second four‑year term as chief of the Milwaukee Police Department, effective Nov. 15, 2025, at an annual salary of $243,000.

The vote followed an extended public comment period in which multiple residents and community activists urged the commission to reject Norman’s reappointment, citing a lack of trust in his leadership, the department’s pursuit of facial recognition technology (FRT), and police actions during the Republican National Convention (RNC) events last year that preceded the killing of Sam Sharp Jr.

Nut graf: The vote capped a contentious public process. Commissioners held two community meetings about the reappointment earlier in June and took public testimony at the June 26 meeting. Public speakers repeatedly connected concerns about surveillance technology and lack of accountability to Norman’s fitness for another term, while several commissioners and one alderman publicly supported Norman’s leadership and culture changes within the department.

Public concerns and quotes

Multiple speakers representing the Milwaukee Alliance and other community groups urged commissioners to block the reappointment. Ron Jansen told the commission, “I don’t…