Meet the Sheriff

Inspector Schmidt was appointed to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office on June 6, 1986. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1996, Captain in January of 2002, Deputy Inspector in January of 2003, Inspector of Detention in February 2006, and Inspector, Senior Commander in 2010 by Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr.  Sheriff Clarke resigned Thursday, August 31, 2017 at 11:59 pm, and Schmidt assumed the role of Acting Sheriff.

Inspector Schmidt has led the Police Services Bureau, which included Expressway Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Airport Security. In 2004, he was put in charge of the Detention Services Bureau. This included oversight of the medical, clerical, correctional officers, and sworn staff assigned to the Milwaukee County Jail,  On January 1, 2009, the House of Correction in Franklin,  the electronic inmate monitoring, and the Huber community access program all came under the authority of the Sheriff. The associated facilities and programs were then placed in the Detention Bureau. In addition, the Detention Bureau was expanded to include the Courts Services Division, which provides bailiffs for the Milwaukee County Court House, the Criminal Justice Facility, the Safety Building and the courts located at the Children’s Detention Center in Wauwatosa. In August of 2010, Inspector Schmidt was promoted by Sheriff Clarke as the Senior Commander of the Agency, and placed in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Sheriff’s Office.

Inspector Schmidt has a Bachelor of Science Degree, a Masters Degree in Administration, both from Hyles-Anderson Crown Point, IN, and earned a doctorate from Northland International University. He is a graduate of Northwestern University Center for Public Safety Executive Management Program, the National Institute of Corrections Executive Excellence program, the F.B.I. National Academy and has attended Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government for the classes Driving Government Performance, Senior Executives in State & Local Governments and Mastering Negotiations. Inspector Schmidt has participated in the American Correctional Association, the American Jail Association, the F.B.I. National Academy, the National Institute of Corrections – Large Jail Network Trainings, and the Wisconsin Jail Association. He has been involved through the Sheriff’s Office with volunteer efforts with the Special Olympics, Shop with a Cop, the Johnetta Borum Christmas party for underprivileged children, the National Education Association’s Read Across America, and the Salvation Army.