The Public Policy Forum held a luncheon Thursday to give public safety officials the opportunity to talk about their desired qualities in the next chief.,”

With the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission on the prowl for a new police chief, public safety officials around the city are expressing the qualities they desire in a new chief.

Many have opinions, but in the end, the commission will appoint the new chief by early November.

"I don't even expect them to solicit my advice," said Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. "I'm not going to advocate one person or another. All I can do is express my wish list."

The Milwaukee Police Department has a far reach and a deep impact on the city. The mayor, the district attorney, the police association and now even Milwaukee Public Schools need a good relationship with MPD and its chief.

Chisholm said he believes the officials in these positions are critical leaders in public safety.

"The police chief shares that same role," Chisholm said. "It's one person you can go to shape policy in an organization."

Current chief Nannette Hegerty has a good relationship with the city and has certainly changed MPD policy with tougher punishment for misconduct and new hiring practices, and many will be sorry to see her go, Chisholm said.

"She's been a great partner to law enforcement agencies and the people of Milwaukee," Chisholm said. "She's really listened."

So the question is this: Will the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission hire more of the same or shake up the department a bit?

Chisholm said he believes the next chief should have excellent communication skills, like those found in Hegerty.

Chisholm recently restructured his office to handle cases of police misconduct better and he said he thinks the police department should be just as open and responsive to public interest.

"We need a leader who can communicate to the department that they work with the community and for the community," Chisholm said.

Along those same lines, John Balcerzak, president of the Milwaukee Police Association, said he hopes the new chief will communicate to the community the police department's job.

Balcerzak said that too often the community views police officers as the corrupt bad guys. He said the chief should communicate to citizens that the police are usually just trying to do their job well.

"If you're fighting crime, you have to educate the public that not everything police officers are doing is bad," Balcerzak said.

Another often-discussed part of the process is whether to pick a new chief from inside the ranks of the department or to look outside, to other counties and cities, for the next chief. In the past, Hegerty herself has expressed her desire that the commission select from within the department.

Balcerzak said that while the commission could find plenty of qualified candidates both outside and inside the department, hiring from the outside could make the new chief's job more difficult because an outsider would take more time to learn the department and the city.

"You can basically take the first one or two years and flush them down the toilet," Balcerzak said.

Chisholm said he couldn't imagine doing his job without his 12 years of experience working inside the district attorney's office.

"I don't know how someone could come out of the blue and effect change," Chisholm said. "But maybe a totally fresh perspective would be good."

The Public Policy Forum held a luncheon Thursday at the Pfister Hotel Imperial Ballroom, 424 E. Wisconsin Ave., to give public safety officials the opportunity to talk about the attributes they want in the next chief.

The panel included Balcerzak, Chisholm, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. and Matt Nelson, Milwaukee Police Accountability Coalition Executive Director.

"I deliberately set up the panel to ensure it was people speaking to the city and not the city speaking to us," said Jeff Browne, president of the Public Policy Forum.

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