Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas resigns, ushering in new leadership under Denita Ball
Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas resigned Friday, effective immediately.
On Monday, he will start his new job as Fiserv's vice president of security for Wisconsin. Lucas was elected in 2018 and previously held a security position with Major League Baseball.
“I look forward to the next chapter in a long career of service and adding value to the Milwaukee community,” Lucas wrote in a news release.
Fiserv is a multinational financial technology firm headquartered in Brookfield.
Earlier this year, following his disappointing fifth-place finish in the primary election for the city's next mayor, Lucas announced that he would not seek re-election.
His chief deputy, Denita Ball, finished first in the August primary election and is on the ballot unopposed in November
The Sheriff's Office has been in the hot seat, facing concerns about rising crime and violence in the Milwaukee area, staffing shortages and conditions at the Milwaukee County Jail, including multiple in-custody deaths and suicides in the last couple of years. The agency has also faced many fiscal challenges, especially after the Sheriff's Office projected a $4.6 million overtime deficit.
In the lead-up to the primary election, the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriff's Association issued the current administration of Lucas and Ball a "no confidence" vote.
The push for the vote had been "overwhelming," according to Sgt. Fredrick Gladney, president of the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs’ Association.
Denita Ball to become Milwaukee County's first woman sheriff
Lucas' departure paves the way for Ball, who will become the first woman to take the top spot at the agency.
In August, Ball defeated Inspector Brian Barkow and Capt. Thomas Beal in the primary election, with about 55% of the vote. All three had run as Democrats.
Ball is a retired deputy inspector with the Milwaukee Police Department and had been appointed by Lucas as chief deputy in 2018. She was also a finalist for Milwaukee police chief in 2007.
In an interview with the Journal Sentinel in the lead-up to the August primary election, Ball applauded the current administration but said she wants her administration to be more "hands-on," such as working with the County Board to get the resources needed to help create more incentives for current and prospective staff and create a "superior jail."
"I'm not lost on the historic factor," Ball told the Journal Sentinel after her win. "This is a surreal moment. I'm still taking it in, but I'm just excited about the possibility."
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas resigns, takes Fiserv job
