FPC and MPD staff outline steps to operationalize community and problem-oriented policing
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Summary
Commissioners and staff discussed a working memo to operationalize community and problem-oriented policing (CPOP), recommended forming a cross-stakeholder work group, and proposed hiring or contracting a civilian POP expert to institutionalize data-driven problem solving.
Fire and Police Commission staff and commissioners discussed next steps to make community and problem-oriented policing (CPOP) a sustained part of Milwaukee Police Department operations.
Deputy Director Jay Pusek said SOP 003 already frames community-oriented policing, but the department needs work plans and organizational supports to make the approach operational. He described the memo on commissioners’ desks as a working draft that lays out “gold standard” best practices for institutionalizing CPOP: clearer community engagement processes, problem-definition and data-analysis protocols, and staff roles to coordinate cross-agency responses.
Commissioners and department representatives proposed an immediate set of actions: (1) convene a short-term alignment meeting (one-day summit) among FPC, MPD leadership, the Community Coordinating Council (CCC) and other stakeholders; (2) establish a small working group or task force (3 commissioners plus staff and community seats) to convert recommendations into a phased plan; and (3) designate or hire a civilian problem-oriented-policing specialist—distinct from sworn ranks—to lead data analysis, project-scoping and evaluation.
Deputy Director Pusek said the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing and academic partners could help identify qualified candidates and consultants. Commissioners noted that when POP is embedded in organizational culture it survives changes in chief-level leadership; they urged concrete milestones, periodic reporting and inclusion of POP criteria in recruitment, tests and promotions to align personnel incentives.
What’s next: Commissioners volunteered to serve on a small task group; staff agreed to scope a convening with CCC and MPD in March and to draft a job description and budget estimate for a civilian POP coordinator.