James Harpole 414-481- 9777 | [email protected] 3465 South 75th Street, Milwaukee, WI. 53219
Professional Summary Tenured senior police executive with a proven track record of success in leading change, team building, leadership development, accountability in management, implementing risk management, managing crisis, and attaining organizational and community goals through a problem-solving, highly inclusive and collaborative leadership style that embraces the development of positive community relationships across diverse communities and neighborhoods in order to achieve the mission and vision of the organization
Education BACHELOR OF ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE | 2004 | MARIAN UNIVERSITY - FOND DU LAC, WI. GRADUATE - SCHOOL OF POLICE STAFF AND COMMAND | 2004 | NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY - EVANSTON. IL.
Executive Experience ASSISTANT CHIEF OF POLICE | SEPTEMBER 2008 TO PRESENT CAPTAIN OF POLICE | JULY 2005 TO SEPTEMBER 2008
Current Executive Command Assignments NEIGHBORHOOD PATROL BUREAU (2011 to current): this is the largest police bureau in the department, consisting of approximately 1,400 authorized employees. It is comprised of seven district police stations, the Neighborhood Task Force (Traffic Unit, SWAT, K-9, Street Crimes, and Crash Reconstruction), the Office of Community Outreach and Education, City Hall Security Detail, Mayor's Security Detail, Marine and Underwater Investigation Units, Mounted Patrol Unit, and Planning and Logistics Section. I provide executive level oversight to this bureau to include all administrative and operational functions. I supervise eleven command and executive level direct reports and one executive assistant.
ADMINISTRATION: As the sole assistant chief in the department I currently provide executive level oversight of all day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the entire department under the direction of the Chief of Police. I provide direct supervision over the five inspectors of police assigned as bureau commanders and deputy bureau commanders. In the absence of the Chief of Police I am assigned as the Acting Chief of Police.
Past Commands • Assistant Chief of the Criminal Investigations Bureau (2008 to 2011): This bureau of approximately 400 employees provides investigative services to the city of Milwaukee for all felony crimes.
• Captain of the Third Police District (2005 to 2008): This district is comprised of approximately 170 employees providing police service to 100,000 residents covering a service area of 16 square miles. This was a challenging and diverse command experience in a district that is comprised of some of the most violent neighborhoods in the city, as well as several major corporations, Marquette University, the Milwaukee County Zoo, and Miller Park (home of the Brewers). Command Accomplishments Turnaround Management – As a newly promoted captain, led the Third Police District in a turnaround effort that restored the credibility, legitimacy, and administrative integrity of a district in which the community had lost trust and faith after a series of high profile, explosive incidents. Over a three year period complaints against officers decreased 75% and uses of force decreased 47%. (2005-2008)
Problem-Solving Policing – Implemented the Community Prosecution Program in the Third Police District. The program, which provides a multidisciplinary, problem-solving approach to nuisance people and places, has been very successful. From 2005 to 2008 District Three led the city in identified nuisance properties and billings to landlords. The District Three model was eventually adopted citywide. (2005-2006)
Interagency Collaboration – In collaboration with key stakeholders developed the nationally recognized Community Domestic Abuse Advocacy Program. The citywide program assigns confidential advocates to police stations, paired with officers, to provide victim and offender services, as well as trauma informed care to children. In 2013 police referred over 3500 people to the program. (2007)
Change Agent – As a newly appointed assistant chief, planned and executed a historic, cultural changing, technology centered restructuring of the Investigations Bureau. As a result, clearance rates increased for most crimes and overtime expenditures were brought within budget, with a 50% decrease in Homicide Unit overtime, which did not affect homicide clearance rates. Achieved clearance rates of 93% and 84% for 2008 and 2009. (2008-2011)
Innovations in Communications – Successfully implemented an electronic information sharing environment that has linked every district, division, and bureau in the department for the first time in history. This development transformed intra-department communications and information sharing, breaking down organizational information “silos.” (2009-2010)
Holding Offenders Accountable – Oversaw the department’s lead role in the interagency development of the groundbreaking Milwaukee Collaborative Offender Reentry Program, which co-locates probation and parole agents in police stations, paired with police officers, focusing on high-risk and repeat offenders. (2010)
Intelligence-Led Policing – Established a high tech regional Intelligence Fusion Center within the department. Co-located local, state, and federal resources, allow for coordinated information sharing and better intelligence led policing efforts. The Intelligence Center has grown to include a predictive intelligence unit, gun crimes intelligence unit, and real time crime center. (2010)
Entertainment District Policing – In response to the city’s growing downtown nightlife, a partnership was formed with political and business stakeholders to create an entertainment district public safety plan using the Responsible Entertainment District model. Since its implementation, crime and disorder in and around the entertainment districts has been reduced. A three year 21% crime reduction was been realized. (2011)
Community Outreach and Education – Created the Office of Community Outreach and Education, which houses the School Resource Officers (SRO), youth leadership programs, faith-based initiatives, and other community programs. The formally enforcement based SROs had been assigned to only five high schools. A new model was adopted that focuses on mentorship and youth leadership development. The new model serves students in approximately 280 K-12 schools. (2012)
Evidence-Based Policing – Executed an evidence and research-based policing strategy that focused on operationalizing research. This strategy led to the department’s hot spot and micro spot policing initiatives, in which police commanders develop interventions based on data and research. (2011-2012)
Building Neighborhood Trust/Community Policing – Developed the Building Neighborhood Trust Program, which partners foot patrol officers with influential community leaders to problem-solve neighborhood crime Page 2 and disorder issues in a collaborative fashion. More than 20 neighborhoods have participated in this community policing initiative. (2012-current)
Effective Planning – Prepared a series of intelligence-led, problem-solving deployment plans to better manage the policing of large scale events, demonstrations, and marches in response to the establishment of the Occupy movement and groups of youth engaging in violence at several events in 2011. Led the department’s planning team for all major large scale demonstrations, rallies, and protests, including the riots of August 2016, wherein I led all field deployments to restore order and end the riots. (2011-current)
Crime Reduction – Planned and executed a number of policing initiatives, working in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, which resulted in a 7-year overall crime reduction of 31%. (2008-current)
Leadership Development – Laid the foundation for executive level leadership development within the organization. All sworn members of the Chief’s current executive leadership team were direct reports to me before elevation to executive rank. Senior command and middle management direct reports have been provided with career growth and development opportunities to prepare them to assume greater responsibility. (2008-current)
Budget Management – Maintained budget integrity, remaining at or below authorized operating, overtime, and training budgets ranging from $8 to $10 million annually. Also share responsibility for overall management of the department’s $330,000,000 budget. (2008-current)
Data-Driven Approaches to Crime Traffic Safety – Directed the planning and development of the department’s and Traffic Safety (DDACTS) operational model, which integrates location-based crash and crime data to establish effective and efficient methods for deploying police resources. This model affords the dual benefit of reducing traffic crashes and crime. Recent results in the DDACTS area reveal a 12% reduction in crashes and a 16% reduction in crime. (2015 to current)
Other Police Experience LIEUTENANT OF POLICE | 2000 TO 2005 POLICE SERGEANT | 1996 TO 2000 POLICE OFFICER | 1987 TO 1996 POLICE AIDE | 1985 TO 1987
Honors and Awards Chief’s Superior Leadership Award, Milwaukee Police Department (2017) Chief’s Superior Leadership Award, Milwaukee Police Department (2013) Patriot Employer Certificate, United States Department of Defense (2011) Impact Award, Avenue’s West Association (2009) Service Appreciation, Marquette University Department of Public Safety (2008) State Farm Balancing Act Award, Lisbon Avenue Neighborhood Association (2007) Chief of Police Superior Achievement Award, Milwaukee Police Department (2000)
Executive Leadership Training • Police Executive Research Forum, Washington, DC Graduate - Senior Management Institute for Police (2008) • Major Cities Chiefs Police Leadership Development Program Page 3 Graduate – Police Executive Leadership Institute (2016) • Center for Domestic Preparedness, Anniston, AL. Graduate – Command Level Field Force Operations (2016)
Memberships • Police Executive Research Forum • International Association of Chiefs of Police • Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association • FBI – Law Enforcement Executive Development Association • International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards • National Association of Mental Illness • Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee
Boards/Committees • Local Initiatives Support Council—advisory board (current member) • MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge Milwaukee County Core Team member (current) • Gang Reduction Project—Governance Board—appointed by Governor Doyle (2005-2007) • Washington High School—School of Law, Education, and Public Service—advisory board (2005-2008)
Executive Level Think Tanks • Police Accountabilities in Democracies: First International Congress on Police Internal Affairs, Los Cabos, Baja California, Mexico. A project of the National Commission for Security and the Internal Affairs Unit of the Federal Mexican Police Force and U.S. Department of State.. 52 countries represented. I represented American Police (2013)
• National Executive Session on Policing and Public Safety at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. A project of the National Institute of Justice, US Department of Justice; Office of National Drug Control Policy; and Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management, Harvard Kennedy School of Government (2010)
Additional Information • Secret security clearance holder—U.S. Department of Homeland Security • Participant on many panel discussions nationwide on various policing topics • Conducted dozens of presentations at conferences and various community venues locally and nationally • Managed many crisis situations including: officer involved shootings, the Falk Corporation explosion of 2007 (3 killed over 4 dozen injured), several large scale volatile demonstrations, and the Milwaukee riots of August 2016 • Participated in the creation of the department’s Risk Management Bureau and Inspection’s Division, which led to accreditation for the department by the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group • Participated in the Police Executive Research Forum’s Round Table Conference on Constitutional Policing, which resulted in a published report titled: Constitutional Policing as a Cornerstone of Community Policing • Participated in the Office of Community Oriented Policing’s Protest Policing Focus Group, a group of large city police executives designed to develop a set of best practices for policing large scale crowd events • Participated in Police Executive Research Forum sponsored gun violence summits in Minneapolis, Las Vegas, and Milwaukee
Page 4 • Participated in an executive leadership exchange/mentorship program with the police chief in Edmonton, Canada as part of the Major Cities Chiefs Executive Leadership Development Program
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