Police chief finalists state their cases

Three people vying to be the next Grafton police chief stated their cases with village officials and the public at the Zaun Pavilion in Lime Kiln Park on Wednesday, July 8, during a meet-and-greet event.

The finalists are Peter Pierce, a retired Milwaukee police captain; Jeff Caponera, police chief of the City of Anna, Texas; and Mark Rather, deputy police chief of the Village of East Troy.

Officials said the Police and Fire Commission has recommended hiring one of the three and is in the process of negotiating the terms of a contract through GovHR USA, an executive recruitment agency. However, the name of the recommended hire has not been made public. 

Pierce, who formerly lived in Thiensville, said he would often visit Grafton parks with his family and was active in community events such as the annual Kapco Metal Stamping Kids2Kids toy drive. 

Pierce has been a lieutenant with Milwaukee Area Technical College since July of 2019. He was previously superintendent of juvenile detention in Milwaukee County and served with the City of Milwaukee Police Department for 26 years, retiring in 2016 as captain.

Pierce is a graduate of the FBI’s National Academy and Northwestern University School of Police and Command, where he was named class president. 

Since applying for the position, Pierce said he has met with Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Pam King to discuss how the department can work better with the business community. He also discussed school safety with Grafton Schools Supt. Jeff Nelson and Grafton High School Principal Scott Mantei.

“At one point, I supervised over 30 school resource officers, so I certainly have an idea about how to improve safety,” Pierce said.

Pierce said he also spoke with Ozaukee County Sheriff Jim Johnson about how the departments can function better together.  

“We talked about the lingering dispute about the dispatch issue and how we can address it,” he said. 

Caponera said he learned about the opening from Ozaukee County Undersheriff Christy Knowles, whom he met at the FBI National Academy. 

His current department is 25 miles outside of Dallas and serves a population of 20,000 people that grows by an average of 1,200 residents per year.

“It’s a fast-growing city and has many challenges similar to Grafton,” Caponera said. 

Caponera has nearly 25 years of law-enforcement experience in the Dallas and Denver areas. He became Anna’s police chief in July of 2018 after serving as an interim chief for six months. He is a second-generation police officer.

After researching the village, police department and surrounding area, Caponera said he decided Grafton would be a good fit for him and his wife, who are seeking to escape the long, hot summers of Texas.

Rather said he began his career in law enforcement as a dispatcher with the City of West Allis Police Department 23 years ago. 

In 2000, he became an officer with the Village of West Milwaukee Police Department. During his 17 years there, he was promoted to detective, sergeant and lieutenant.

In 2018, Rather became deputy chief of the Village of East Troy Police Department. He said he believes in community-oriented policing and has been involved with events like National Night Out, Neighborhood Watch and Shop with a Cop, he said.

Rather is also a graduate of the FBI National Police Academy.

“Having spent most of my career in a similar-size agency, I was drawn to Grafton,” he said. “I believe I can build relationships to allow both the department and community to flourish.” 

The Grafton Village Board is expected to meet in closed session Monday, July 20, before it makes its final decision on a new chief.