Captain Robert S. Thiel

Captain Robert S. Thiel was born in Milwaukee and began his career with the Milwaukee Police Department in 2004.  He was assigned to District Seven, where he focused on violent crime by using proactive strategies to accomplish the reduction of criminal activity.  He was promoted to Sergeant in 2010 and assigned to District Five where he fine-tuned his supervisory skills.  He then moved to District Six and then back to District Seven before he was promoted to Lieutenant in 2018.  When he was promoted to Lieutenant, he was assigned to the Criminal Investigation Bureau where he managed in-depth criminal investigations.  He went on to lead the Late and Early shifts at District Four before finally landing on the Dayshift of District One.  While assigned to District One, he made community engagement his top priority and developed strong relationships within the community of District One.  In June 2023, Captain Thiel was assigned as the commander of District One.

Captain Thiel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and received a CPM from the Wisconsin Command College.  In addition to these accomplishments, he has completed several professional trainings to include: Valor Executive Leadership Workshop, Risk Management Training for Supervisors, Supervisory Development, and is a graduate of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police Organizations.  Captain Thiel was also a long-time member of the Major Incident Response Team and has extensive experience with civil disturbance resolution.