Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman is facing criticism after participating in a counterterrorism training program in Israel, a trip that sparked tense public commentary and demands for accountability from some residents and activists
.Angela Lang, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, said that “For this police chief in this political climate when there’s a genocide happening right now, to go learn tactics to further oppress our communities, is shameful.”
Krissie Fung, a Fire and Police Commission member, called the trip “unconscionable,” saying, “I think that for many Milwaukeeans this is not something they will never forgive.”
While Angela and Krissie can have their opinions, it doesn’t mean those opinions aren’t dumb, and while it may be cool in 2026 to play the outrage card, anyone with a few brain cells has to recognize that Chief Norman may know a little more about training than they do.
The training program is sponsored by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA). It was established after 9/11 to facilitate the exchange of best practices between U.S. law enforcement and leading counterterrorism experts. The Israeli National Police is the world’s expert on dealing with terrorism, and American law enforcement has been participating in the training for decades. I’ve known many police chiefs who have attended the training, and it’s top-notch.
Regardless of what Angela and Krissie believe, Milwaukee deserves the same training and preparation as other cities, and Chief Norman was correct in attending.
Fortunately, Norman didn’t follow so many cowards behind the badge from the past and apologize for doing the right thing, and the attack against him should serve as both a warning and a lesson to other leaders.
Insane opinions remain, and we should never kneel to those with such opinions.
