MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced Friday that Adam Procell will resign as director of Milwaukee's Office of Community Wellness and Safety after learning that his previous murder conviction legally disqualifies him from serving as a department director.
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Johnson made the announcement during a news conference, explaining that Procell cannot hold the position due to his past conviction, for which he served 25 years in prison.
Since his release in 2018, Procell has become an advocate for violence prevention, leading reentry programs and helping to shape Wisconsin law to create hope for the formerly incarcerated.
During Friday's news conference, Johnson said the council had decided in November to move the Office of Community Wellness and Safety out of the Department of Administration and establish it as its own department — a decision Johnson said he vetoed but was overridden.
Johnson commended Procell's leadership during the conference, stating that serious crime is down 20% under his tenure compared to the previous year.
Karin Tyler will lead the department after Procell leaves, though it's unclear if that appointment is temporary.
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