Dan O'Donnell

Dan O'Donnell

Common Sense Central is edited by WISN's Dan O'Donnell. Dan provides unique conservative commentary and analysis of stories that the mainstream media...Full Bio

 

Sources: Barrett Likely to Replace Morales with Green Bay Police Chief

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is on the verge of replacing Police Chief Alfonso Morales with Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith, multiple sources told "The Dan O'Donnell Show." Morales, whose contract expires in January, has not been offered an extension and is actively preparing to leave the job at the end of this year.

Smith has been Green Bay's police chief since early 2016 and before that served 27 years with the Los Angeles Police Department.

"He holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UC San Diego and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California at Los Angeles," his biography on the Green Bay Police Department's website reads. "He also attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and the Senior Management Institute for Police in Boston, Massachusetts."

Sources say Smith was in Milwaukee last week touring Milwaukee Police Department facilities and meeting with assorted personnel.

"As the current Chief of the Milwaukee Police Department, I am focused on the safety and security of the members of this agency, the citizens we swore to protect and preparing for a successful 2020 Democratic National Convention," Chief Morales said in a statement in response to a request for comment.

Mayor Barrett has not yet recommended to the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission that Morales be hired for a full four-year term when his contract expires in January. By contrast, in early 2008 he gave then-Police Chief Edward Flynn a ringing endorsement just a few months into his tenure. Seven years later, he strongly endorsed Flynn again amid controversy over the Milwaukee Police Department's handling of the Dontre Hamilton shooting.

In a Facebook post on the Green Bay Police Department's official page, Chief Smith vehemently denied the report.

"This is nothing more than a fabricated and unfounded rumor," he said. "I have never toured the police HQ in Milwaukee, and never met with the Mayor. My family and I love being here in Green Bay. I am proud to be the Chief here in Green Bay and have no plans to leave."

Mayor Barrett also denied the report, telling the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that "this is completely made up. The rumors are not true. We have a police chief and most importantly crime is going down. That’s what Milwaukeeans are looking for."

Pointedly, Barrett did not say that he would nominate Morales for another term.


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