Filing a Complaint

A main goal of the Fire and Police Commission (FPC) is to ensure that members of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Departments and Department of Emergency Communications carry out their duties in a professional and respectful manner. The FPC is the civilian oversight agency of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Departments Departments and Department of Emergency Communications and has full authority to investigate and discipline department employees for rule violations. 

Complaint filed with the FPC will be assigned an FPC investigator, who will contact you to confirm the information you submit and gather more detail if necessary (the FPC employs a full-time, bilingual investigator who can assist Spanish-speaking community members).  The majority of complaint investigations we conduct are concluded within 2 months of receipt, but each case is unique; be aware that some allegations may take less or more time to resolve. 

• A brochure providing a general outline of the complaint process may be found here (also available in Spanish and Hmong).
• A fully detailed account of the complaint process may be viewed here. 
• Some complaints may be recommended for a mediation process, which you can read about here (also available in Spanish).

It is the FPC’s policy to accept all complaints and provide all complainants with the necessary means to file a complaint if they wish to do so. If, at any point in the process, you feel (or felt) as if you were discouraged from filing your complaint, please contact our Compliance Auditor at [email protected] or (414) 286-5141. Similarly, if you would like to compliment a member of our staff, please contact our Compliance Auditor at the above contact information.

Complaints may also be filed directly with the Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee Fire Department, or the Department of Emergency Communications.  Please note that complaints filed directly with a department will be investigated and resoled by receiving department (not the FPC).  Contact information to file a complaint directly with one of the public safety departments is available on the departments’ websites, which can be accessed through the following links: MPD, MFD, and DEC

 If a community member is not satisfied with a department’s findings concerning a complaint, they may contact the FPC and request that the FPC review the department’s completed investigation.  The FPC Executive Director will then review the investigation and determine if it was thorough, complete, and appropriate under the circumstances.
 

Complaint Intake Process

Click on each image to enlarge. 

Procedure

If you wish to file a complaint with the FPC against a member of the Fire or Police Departments or Department of Emergency Communications, we have multiple avenues available through which you may do so: 

1. You may submit a complaint using our online complaint submission form.  Please note that an email address is required for you to utilize this tool.
2. You may download citizen complaint forms in English, Spanish, and Hmong.  The forms are fillable pdfs, meaning that you may type in the information using your computer if you wish; otherwise you may print out the form and fill it out by hand. 
3. You may pick up citizen complaint forms in person: Forms are available in branches of the Milwaukee Public Library and at MPD District Stations. Complaint forms are also available in person at our office in City Hall.

• Completed and signed forms should be either emailed to [email protected] or delivered by mail or by hand to:

Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission
City Hall Room 705
200 E Wells Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

For more information or to file a complaint by phone, please call (414) 286-5000 to speak with an investigator.

Notes:

• The FPC only has authority to investigate complaints against the City of Milwaukee Fire and Police Department and Department of Emergency Communications personnel.
  • Complaints against the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, suburban Fire or Police Departments, Municipal or County Court System, or other branches of government should be submitted directly to those agencies.   
• Complaints about parking citations are not within our investigative authority. 
  • The Milwaukee Department of Public Works is responsible for parking enforcement.  Instructions for disputing a parking citation are available on their website. 
• The FPC does not have the authority to award any monetary damages.  
  • Claims for monetary damages must be filed separately with the Milwaukee City Clerk.
• It is desirable that complaints be filed as soon as reasonable after an incident. 
  • As a general guide we request that complaints for minor misconduct (for example, discourtesy) be filed within 60 days of the incident and complaints for serious misconduct (for example, excessive force) be filed within 6 months of the incident.  These guidelines may be extended for a variety of “good cause” reasons and we encourage you to discuss your situation with the assigned investigator as necessary.