The Milwaukee Common Council on Tuesday confirmed Karin Tyler as the new director of the Department of Community Wellness and Safety. But support for her wasn’t unanimous, and concerns continue over the future of the department.
Both Ald. Sharlen Moore and Ald. Scott Spiker maintained opposition they expressed during a Public Safety and Health Committee meeting earlier this month.
Moore spoke about Tyler’s lack of experience communicating with the full Milwaukee Common Council.
She previously told NNS she was concerned about funding for the department and the pressures that could place on its new director.
The department faces uncertain funding, with money from the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act set to expire at the end of 2026.
“We are facing one of the toughest budget years that we’ve ever faced as a city,” Moore said.
Residents and agency partners have sent emails and made calls raising serious concerns about the department’s future, Moore said.
“No one wants to see Ms. Tyler or anyone else set up to fail leading a department,” she said.
Spiker expressed similar concerns about the longevity of the department, asking how it is “going to survive, given their funding sources are dropping out.”
During the Common Council meeting, Ald. Robert Bauman also voted against Tyler’s appointment.
In the end, Tyler was confirmed with a vote of 9-3, with two other members abstaining and one being excused.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who selected Tyler for the role, has “full confidence” in her, according to his spokesman Jeff Fleming.
Tyler’s vision
Tyler participated in several public forums during the time when she was one of three finalists to become director.
During those forums – and again to the Public Safety and Health Committee – she explained her vision for the department and the director role.
“What Milwaukee needs most in this moment is a leader who can relate to all people, from families in crisis to front line staff to elected officials and to community stakeholders,” Tyler told committee members. “Our city needs someone who listens, who cares deeply and who will work tirelessly every day to make our community safer.”
Tyler said she wants to lead the department with a public health lens that is “grounded in community voice, healing and data-driven strategies that address the root causes of violence.”
Tyler has said that her son is an inspiration for her work. Her son, Andrew, was shot and killed during a home invasion in 2011.
“This work is deeply personal to me, and it is a responsibility I do not take lightly,” Tyler told committee members.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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