Police Chief Final Hiring Decision on 9/27
PFC will choose new Fitchburg Police chief on Monday, September 27
The final decision about the hiring of the police chief is made by the Police & Fire Commission (PFC). At the 8/4 PFC meeting, they voted to advance two candidates to a background check, which has since been completed. The PFC is in the process of reviewing those documents and plans to interview the candidates again this week. The final hiring decision is planned for the Monday, 9/27 meeting. You can view the agenda here once it has been posted. The 9/22 meeting is intended for discussion only.
The two finalists:
Alfonso Morales— Former chief from the Milwaukee Police Department
Vic Siebeneck— Captain with the Salt Lake City, Utah, Police Department
Note: Scott Kleinfeldt and Tony Ruesga were removed from consideration.
How to give feedback
We need more community feedback before this decision is made! Please learn about the candidates and reach out to the PFC with your thoughts. This is the most consequential non-elected position in the city.
YOUR VOICE IS CRITICAL TO THIS PROCESS!
Contact the Police and Fire Commission directly with your thoughts.
Email pfc@fitchburgwi.gov
Call 608-270-4325 and leave a message
Note: You may request that your written feedback be read at the meeting, but it is unclear if that will happen. Best way to ensure you are heard publicly is to attend the meeting and speak for 3 min (see below). Best choice for private communication is in writing with a request to remain anonymous publicly.
2. Attend the final meeting and speak your thoughts in person. You have 3 minutes.
September 27— Attend in person at city hall (5520 Lacy Road) or request a zoom link.
3. Share this information with others in the Fitchburg community!
Share this blog post
Share information on the PFC website
Learn more about the finalists
The two finalists:
Alfonso Morales— Former chief from the Milwaukee Police Department
Vic Siebeneck— Captain with the Salt Lake City, Utah, Police Department
Note: Scott Kleinfeldt and Tony Ruesga were removed from consideration.
1. Fitchburg Star Articles
Read recent articles in the Fitchburg Star
2. 8/3 Public Reception and Q&A
On August 3, there was a public reception where the candidates answered questions submitted by the community. You can watch the full video online.
Puedes ver la recepción pública para conocer a los finalistas del jefe de policía en español aquí
To make this easier to navigate, below you’ll find direct links to video of EACH question. The first person to answer each question rotated, so I’ve also included a list of the order of their answers. They each had a limit of 3 minutes per answer. Please remember that Kleinfeldt and Ruesga were removed from considertaion.
Question 1: Describe your qualifications and why are you interested in being the next police chief of Fitchburg?
Order of answers: Kleinfeldt, Morales, Ruesga, Siebeneck
Question 2: What is your vision for the Fitchburg Police Department in the next five years and what steps would you take to implement this vision?
Order of answers: Morales, Ruesga, Siebeneck, Kleinfeldt
Question 3: The community survey we have conducted has indicated concerns about an increase in crimes such as auto theft and burglary. Which strategies would you implement in order to reduce these crimes?
Order of answers: Ruesga, Siebeneck, Kleinfeldt, Morales
Question 4: Please describe how you intend to ensure trust between the Fitchburg Police Department and all of the communities it serves, including immigrant communities.
Order of answers: Siebeneck, Kleinfeldt, Morales, Ruesga
Question 5: As police chief, department members and community stakeholders will have a variety of expectations, including supporting department members and fair and impartial policing to name just two. As chief, how will you manage these two expectations and seek to earn the confidence of both department members and community stakeholders?
Order of answers: Kleinfeldt, Morales, Ruesga, Siebeneck
Question 6: Officers tend to want a chief that will have their back. If asked whether you will have an officer’s back, how have you or how would you respond?
Order of answers: Morales, Ruesga, Siebeneck, Kleinfeldt
Watch full video
Ver video completo en español
3. Community Presentations
As part of the hiring process, each candidate had to give a presentation. A clip of each of those presentations can be seen below.
Alfonso Morales Presentation
Vic Siebeneck Presentation