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Records: Chief promoted despite issues
How did Jay Johnson get the Greenfield police chief job in the first place? FOX6 News tracked down the people who put him in power.
GREENFIELD, Wis. - Greenfield Police Chief Jay Johnson is charged with felony misconduct, and records show he has a long history of discipline. So how did he get the chief job in the first place? FOX6 News tracked down the people who put him in power.
Chief charged
The backstory:
Prosecutors said Johnson had department staff install a city-owned surveillance camera pointed at his home, despite the city attorney advising against it, when he was going through a divorce last year.
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FOX6 News obtained 195 pages of documents through an open records request. They show Johnson has a disciplinary history with the Greenfield Police Department dating back to 2013, years before he became chief.
Greenfield police chief had history of disciplinary issues: records
Greenfield Police Chief Jay Johnson is charged with misconduct in office, and FOX6 obtained documents that show his disciplinary history.
What they're saying:
Johnson has been on paid leave for nearly six months. FOX6 went to his home on Tuesday to speak with him, and he later emailed FOX6 saying to contact his attorney. After multiple phone calls and emails, his attorney provided a statement Wednesday that reads:
"The charge against police chief Johnson will be vigorously defended. Since May of this year we have filed three complaints with the EEOC/Wisconsin Equal Rights Division charging the Mayor with age discrimination and retaliation in his attempts to remove the Chief from his post. Those complaints are currently under investigation by the State administrative agency responsible for investigating such matters. This will be our only comment at this juncture."
How'd he get the job?
Dig deeper:
Johnson has worked for the Greenfield Police Department since 1992, when he started as an officer. He previously held the ranks of captain and lieutenant.
Public records show Johnson has a history of disciplinary issues dating back to at least 2010, accusing him of dishonesty, sharing management-level discussions and, in one instance, asking a subordinate about a sexual relationship with a fellow officer.
A 2015 memo said Johnson "can’t be allowed to supervise," and an emergency management position was created for him. In 2017, he signed a settlement agreement to become the emergency management coordinator with the fire department – banning contact with the police department.
Greenfield Police Department
That ban got kind of hard to enforce when Johnson became the chief of police two years later in 2019.
What they're saying:
FOX6 News asked Greenfield Mayor Michael Neitzke on Tuesday how Johnson rose to his position after years of mounting issues. He replied: "I’m not the Police and Fire Commission."
On Wednesday, FOX6 News called – and went to the homes of – members of the Greenfield Police and Fire Commission. Patsy Cashmore was the commission chair when it selected Johnson as police chief.
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Miston: "At one point, the department tried to get rid of him by creating a new emergency management position. The department found him unfit to supervise, and yet the Police and Fire Commission selected him as police chief. Why?"
Cashmore: "I was not aware of that."
Miston: You are head of the Police and Fire Commission and privy to this."
Cashmore: "No. have no comment, and I’m sorry, I cannot comment on this. There is an investigation going on. I cannot comment, I’m sorry."
In a statement after this story aired, Neitzke said:
"In no way did I intend my comment as a reflection on the PFC, whether good or bad. My statement was meant to indicate that, under Section 62.13 of the Wisconsin Statutes, the PFC is the sole entity with appointment and approval authority for the office of Chief of Police. Because of that authority, I do not believe it is appropriate for me to speak on behalf of the PFC and potentially misrepresent their intentions or actions from 5-plus years ago. I would ask you to address your questions with the PFC President to the extent she is comfortable providing more information beyond that which she already has."
Editor's note: This story was updated with a statement.
The Source: FOX6 News reviewed documents obtained through an open records request from the City of Greenfield.