Records detail Greenfield police chief’s rise despite disciplinary history

GREENFIELD, Wis. - Newly released public records outline how Greenfield Police Chief Jay Johnson rose through the ranks of the department despite a long history of discipline, years before he was criminally charged.

What we know:

Johnson appeared in Milwaukee County court last fall, charged with misconduct in office. Prosecutors accuse him of improperly using a department surveillance camera at his home and wiping his department-issued cellphone.

Johnson has worked for the Greenfield Police Department since 1992. FOX6 has previously reported public records show a lengthy disciplinary history, including allegations of dishonesty and inappropriate sexual comments.

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Those records also show that in 2015, a memo stated Johnson "can’t be allowed to supervise." In 2017, Johnson signed a settlement and retirement agreement that banned him from the police department building.

Despite that history, Johnson was appointed police chief in 2019.

Dig deeper:

Records obtained by FOX6 show Johnson was able to return to the department after then-Chief Brad Wentlandt retired. Wentlandt’s retirement lifted the ban that had kept Johnson out of the building.

In a letter to FOX6, Greenfield’s mayor said the city provided its records to the Police and Fire Commission as it conducted its search for a new police chief. The commission ultimately selected Johnson for the role.

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To better understand how that decision was made, FOX6 requested emails and text messages from Police and Fire Commission members around the time Johnson was hired. The city responded that "no responsive records were found."

Johnson has been on paid leave for several months. FOX6 has obtained more than 450 pages of records related to his employment and disciplinary history.