Wauwatosa Selects Interim Police Chief, Still Seeks A Replacement

WAUWATOSA, WI — Wauwatosa Police Capt. Luke Vetter has been chosen as interim police chief when Chief Barry Weber retires on June 1.

The Wauwatosa Police and Fire Commission will have to choose a permanent replacement for Weber after he leaves. The police and fire commission, made of five citizens in charge of assessing candidates, will meet on June 23.

The hiring process involves surveying the public for leadership competency, advertising the position and screening applicants, according to the city website. 467 respondents ranked competencies they wanted to see from the next police chief in March. Competencies like law enforcement, community focus and problem solving ranked high on the list.

Now, nine to 12 members of the public will be invited to provide feedback to the police and fire commission, according to the city website. Public input is expected in most of the steps to be completed, including submitting feedback and questions for a public interview for finalist candidates.

After finalist candidates participate in a public forum, the commission will release a video of the interview for public review and base their decision on feedback they get. Then, after the police and fire commission interviews final candidates, it will make a hiring decision.