MILWAUKEE — Big changes are coming to the commission that oversees Milwaukee Police and Milwaukee Fire Departments. 

What You Need To Know

  • Ed Fallone and Amanda Avalos have both resigned from the Fire and Police Commission

  • They cited concerns about Act 12's impact on the FPC

  • Some said they believe changes will allow for better department decision-making

Earlier this week, commissioners Ed Fallone and Amanda Avalos both resigned in protest to Act 12.

They said the legislative act will substantially restrict the FPC’s authority. 

The recently-passed Act 12, which largely focused on shared revenue, contains a provision that Fallone and Avalos said would weaken their ability to do their jobs. As part of the legislation, more department decision making will be shifted to the police and fire chiefs. 

Spectrum News 1 spoke with Ed Fallone on Friday, a day after he announced his resignation. Fallone said his biggest concerns related to the FPC no longer being able to have the final word on many major decisions relating to department policies. 

“You hire chiefs because they share your vision, your strategies and you stay out of their way. But, occasionally, we have felt we had to use that power and the fact that we had that power made us more effective,” said Fallone. 

Fallone said the decision to resign was not made lightly; however, he felt it sends a strong message about the degree of concern he has. 

“We saw this as an opportunity to make a strong statement and to generate public discussion and opposition to this assault on local government that’s contained in the new law,” said Fallone. 

Not everyone has said they think shifting department decision-making as a result of Act 12 is a negative. State Rep. Bob Donovan, R-Greenfield, is among them. Donovan said he thinks leaving more decision up to departments could help them do their jobs more effectively. 

“I firmly feel that we have maintained local control and perhaps have even extended it by engaging the common council in many of the policy review decisions,” said Donovan. “When it comes to setting policy for the police department, I do feel that it is important that police policy be set by police professionals. The people who day in, day out, work with this, study this.” 

Despite the changes to FPC policy, the commission will still make hiring decisions related to chief and department leadership. 

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