UPDATED 8/13: Police Chief Candidates Narrowed to 2

Written By Gabriella Gerhardt

8/13/2021 Update

Below you’ll find info on:

  1. Two finalists moved forward to background check by PFC on 8/4

  2. Timeline updates, final vote to take place September 15

  3. How to give feedback to the PFC

  4. See Original Post to learn about the candidates

1) Two finalists move forward

The final decision about the hiring of the police chief is made by the Police & Fire Commission (PFC). The PFC voted on 8/4/2021 after a 6 hour closed session to move 2 candidates forward and run a background check. You can watch the meeting online; the 6 hours of closed session is removed.

The two finalists:

  • Alfonso Morales— Retired 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.

2) Hiring timeline

3) 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!

4) Original Post

TODAY Wed 8/4 at 5pm Police & Fire Commission votes to move Police Chief candidates forward

The final decision about the hiring of the police chief is made by the Police & Fire Commission (PFC).

  • On Wed Aug 4 at 5pm they will vote in closed session to "determine which candidate(s) to further background in a competitive recruitment process." This means these finalists will get a background check. See agenda.

  • On Aug 18, the PFC will make a final hiring decision.

How to share your opinion

I believe the PFC needs to hear from community members about who you want as your police chief, so please consider sharing your thoughts. You can email the PFC at pfc@fitchburgwi.gov, attend over zoom, or attend in person at City Hall.

4) Learn more about the finalists

The four finalists are:

  • Scott Kleinfeldt— Lieutenant with the City of Madison Police Department

  • Alfonso Morales— Retired chief from the Milwaukee Police Department

  • Tony Ruesga— Chief of the Cross Plains Police Department

  • Vic Siebeneck— Captain with the Salt Lake City, Utah, Police Department

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. A Spanish translation of the video is forthcoming.

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.

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

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.

Scott Kleinfeldt Presentation

Alfonso Morales Presentation

Tony Ruesga Presentation

Vic Siebeneck Presentation

Gabriella Gerhardt
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Police Chief Final Hiring Decision on 9/27
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Vote on CIP amendments on July 27, 2021