Title: Milwaukee Police Department Records
Inclusive Dates: 1884-2016

Creator:

• Milwaukee (Wis.). Police Department.

Call Number: City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 73

Quantity:

• 4.2 cubic ft. (12 boxes)
• 1 oversize folder

Repository:

Milwaukee Public Library, Frank P. Zeidler Room

Archival Location:

Milwaukee Public Library (Map)

Abstract:

Records of the Milwaukee Police Department. The collection primarily contains various reports and other departmental publications.

Note:

To request materials from this collection, create/login to your Special Collections Account.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.mwpl-cmac0073

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

When Milwaukee was founded as a village in 1834, it had a town marshal who was appointed by whoever was in power. However, the marshal was unable to deal with the amount of the crime and so the citizens demanded a police force. In 1855, Alderman Powers introduced an ordinance to create a police force. It passed after some amending, and on October 4, 1855, the Milwaukee Police Department was established. Chosen by Mayor James Cross, William Beck became the first Chief of Police. In an attempt clean up the cronyism within the Police and Fire Departments, the state legislature passed a law in 1885, creating the Police and Fire Commission. This insulated the departments from political influence. In 1888, John Janssen became the first chief to serve under this system, remaining in this position for 33 years. Recently, amendments to the law empowered the Commission even greater powers of oversight. Today the Milwaukee Police Department has about 1,800 officers and is divided into seven districts.

1855-1861	William Beck
1861-1862	Walter S. Johnston
1862-1863	H. A. Page
1863-1878	William Beck
1878-1880	Daniel Kennedy
1880-1882	William Beck
1882-1884	Robert Wasson
1884-1885	Lemuel Ellsworth
1885-1888	Florian J. Ries
1888-1921	John T. Janssen
1921-1936	J. Laubenheimer
1936-1945	Joseph Kluchesky
1945-1957	John W. Polcyn
1957-1964	Howard O. Johnson
1964-1984	Harold A. Breier
1984-1989	Robert J. Ziarnik
1989-1996	Philip Arreola
1996-2003	Arthur L. Jones
2003-2007	Nannette Hegerty
2008-2018	Edward A. Flynn
2018-2020	Alfonso Morales
2020	Michael J. Brunson (Acting)
2020-	Jeffrey B. Norman

Boxes 1-5 are mostly comprised of annual reports from 1884-2001, some years are missing. It also contains other departmental publications, reports, handouts, programs, and various crime and statistical maps.

Boxes 6-12 are comprised of various annual, monthly, weekly, and daily reports on the activities of District 1 and offenses investigated by them, predominantly between 1994-1997. The series also includes correspondence, general orders, maps, meeting minutes, and memorandums.

The collection is arranged alphabetically, then chronologically within each folder.

Milwaukee Police Department Records, 1884-2016, Collection 73. City of Milwaukee Archival Collections, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Archival Collections

• Milwaukee Fire Department Records. City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 18.

• Fire and Police Commission Records. City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 20.

Publications and Other Items

A Guide to Understanding Race and Human Relations : Prepared for Police Instructional Purposes

Annual Report

Milwaukee's Police Department

Police Protection of the African American Community in Milwaukee

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials. The collection is open to all in accordance with state law. The public may view City of Milwaukee Archival Collections by appointment at the Central Library. To request an in-person appointment, create/login to your Special Collections Account. If you have any questions, please contact the Archives and Special Collections Department at mplarchives@milwaukee.gov.

Use Restrictions

The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

Acquisition Information

Milwaukee Public Library receives official materials from city departments via the Milwaukee City Records Center, pursuant to state statutes and city ordinances governing the permanent retention of city records.

Processing Information

Processed by Bob Jaeger, 2018. Materials added by Anna Rohl, 2022.

Box   6 Folder   1	Abortion Protests, 1994
Box   1 Folder   1-6	Annual Reports, 1884-1930
Box   2 Folder   1-5	Annual Reports, 1931-1962
Box   3	Annual Reports, 1963-2001
Box   6 Folder   2	Applications for Assignments, 1994-1997
Box   5 Folder   1	Collaborative Reform Initiative Milwaukee Police Department Assessment Report, draft, 2016
Box   6 Folder   3	Complaints, 1993-1994
Box   6 Folder   4-5	Correspondence, 1993-1997, undated
Box   6 Folder   6	Dahmer Protests, reinstatement of officers, 1994
Box   4 Folder   1	District Stations, 1977
Box   6 Folder   7-11	Executive Briefing Minutes and Memorandums, 1995-April 1997
Box   7 Folder   1-2	Executive Briefing Minutes and Memorandums, May-December 1997
Box   4 Folder   2	“Gangs: Can You Read These Signs?”, 1986
Box   7 Folder   3	General Orders, 1986-1997
Box   5 Folder   2	Graduations and Honors, undated
Box   4 Folder   3	Guide to Understanding Race and Human Relations, 1952
Box   4 Folder   4	License Investigation Procedures, 1965
	Maps
Box   7 Folder   4	Aldermanic Districts, undated
Box   4 Folder   5	Population and Statistics, 1980
Box   7 Folder   5-8	Memorandums, 1988-1997
Box   5 Folder   3	Memorial Ceremonies, 2002-2003
Box   4 Folder   6	Milwaukee Metropolitan Crime Prevention Commission, 1965
Box   5 Folder   4	Miscellaneous Brochures and Handouts, 1999-2002, undated
Box   7 Folder   9	Miscellaneous Meetings, 1994
Box   5 Folder   5	Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety, 1999-2003
Box   4 Folder   7	Police Education Study Committee, 1969
Box   4 Folder   8	Police Management Study Recommendations, 1974
	Policemen’s Annuity and Benefit Fund
Box   4 Folder   9	Actuarial Investigation, 1946
Box   4 Folder   10	Text of the Act, 1924
Oversize Folder   1	Posters, 1999-2003
Box   4 Folder   11	Program of a Competition for an Architect for Proposed Central Police Station, undated
Box   4 Folder   12	Programs and Pamphlets, including graduation and grand opening, 1987-1992, undated
	Reports
	Activity Reports
Box   8 Folder   1-2	Criminal, 1994
Box   8 Folder   3	Daily Auto Speed, 1997
Box   8 Folder   4-5	Dispatch, 1993-1997
Box   8 Folder   6	Knock and Talk, 1997
Box   8 Folder   7	Miscellaneous, 1993-1994, undated
Box   8 Folder   8	Monthly and YTD Traffic Summary, 1993-1994
Box   8 Folder   9	Monthly Offenses, 1996-1997
Box   8 Folder   10	Monthly Parking, 1996-1997
Box   8 Folder   11	Pedestrian Ordinance and Failure to Yield, 1994-1996
Box   8 Folder   12	Squad 241, 1996-1997
Box   8 Folder   13	Squad 242 A, 1994
Box   8 Folder   14	Squad 242 S, 1994
Box   8 Folder   15	Squad 533, 1994
Box   9 Folder   1	Traffic, 1993-1997
Box   9 Folder   2	Weekly, 1997
Box   9 Folder   3	Employee Benefits, 1993-1995
Box   9 Folder   4-7	Labor Cost by Purpose, 1993-1997
	Prisoners
Box   9 Folder   8	Hourly Count, 1996-1997
Box   9 Folder   9	Processed at Prisoner Processing Section, 1996-1997
Box   9 Folder   10	Summerfest Arrest Summary, 1996
Box   9 Folder   11-12	To Captain and Chief of Police, 1991-1994
Box   10 Folder   1-2	To Captain and Chief of Police, 1995-1997
Box   10 Folder   3	Yearly Missing Persons, 1991-1994
Box   4 Folder   13	Rules and Regulations, 1932
Box   4 Folder   14	Rules of the Road, 1921, undated
Box   4 Folder   15	Safety and Security Guidelines for Small Businesses, 1988
Box   5 Folder   6	Safety for Children, 2001-2003
Box   10 Folder   4	Special Event Permits, 1997
	Summary of Offenses - Weekly
Box   10 Folder   6-10	January-May 1994
Box   11 Folder   1-11	June 1994-September 1996
Box   12 Folder   1-2	October 1996-August 1997
Box   10 Folder   5	Summer Initiative, 1994
Box   12 Folder   3	United Transportation Union Amtrak Station, 1994
Box   4 Folder   16	Telephone Directories, 1989, 1998
	Youth Aid Bureau
Box   4 Folder   17	Analytical Report: 1949-1958, 1959
Box   4 Folder   18	Annual Reports, 1957-1963