MADISON, Wis. — Former Wisconsin Parole Commission chairman John Tate II has been hired as the City of Madison’s first-ever Independent Police Monitor, four months after Gov. Tony Evers asked him to resign as head of the parole board.
The Independent Police Monitor job was created — along with the Police Civilian Oversight Board charged with filling the position — in September 2020 by the city’s common council to oversee the Madison Police Department’s compliance with internal policies and procedures. As Independent Police Monitor, Tate will be asked to review incidents in which force is used, oversee the processing of citizen complaints, and ensure that reviews of the department’s policing are independent.
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The city has had trouble filling the role since the application process was opened last summer, including the only finalist for the job withdrawing from consideration at the start of this year, citing family reasons.
In a statement announcing Tate’s hiring, Police Civilian Oversight Board chair Keetra Burnette said Tate has “demonstrated an unwavering commitment” to listening to and advocating for marginalized communities in the state. Prior to being appointed the chair of the state’s parole commission, Tate served as an alder for the City of Racine and worked as a social worker.
“We believe that Mr. Tate’s ability to stand firm in support of difficult decisions and his proven ability to collaboratively solve problems by engaging with and centering the voices of diverse community members will make him a tremendous asset to our community. We are honored to welcome him to serve as our inaugural Independent Monitor and look forward to working with him to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and members of the Greater Madison community,” Burnette said.
Tate resigned as chairman of the state’s parole commission in June after a controversy involving the parole of Douglas Balsewicz, a man convicted of killing his wife in 1997. Gov. Evers later asked Tate to rescind the parole decision after meeting with the victim’s family, which Tate did in May. Tate’s resignation — at the governor’s request — came less than a month later.
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In September, a conservative media outlet sued the state of Wisconsin to access records of everyone who has been granted parole, release, or early release since 2019, when Tate was appointed the head of the Parole Commission by Gov. Evers. Last week, a Washington County judge ordered the Wisconsin Parole Commission to turn over the records immediately.
The City of Madison says Tate will begin his new role as Independent Police Monitor on December 5, 2022, pending his approval from the Common Council. If approved by members of the Council, he will be paid a salary of $125,000 per year. The council is set to vote on Tate’s approval during its meeting on Tuesday night.
A copy of Tate’s contract has been posted to the council’s agenda for the meeting and can be seen here.
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