Jonathan Stewart's badge ceremony was more than a career milestone — it was a homecoming. The 36-year-old Milwaukee native graduated as one of the newest officers in the Milwaukee Police Department and will soon patrol the very streets where he grew up.
"Felt really good, I was nervous. She was equally nervous," Stewart said about the ceremony, which he attended with his 13-year-old daughter.
For Stewart, becoming a police officer represents an opportunity to be a role model for his daughter and make a difference in his community. The achievement carries extra significance as their first major milestone since the recent death of his wife from lupus.
"I wanna be a role model for her. I want her to look up and see that I'm doing the right thing, and see that if she decides to go down this path, it's not hard. If I can do it, she can do it," Stewart said.
Stewart will be assigned to patrol near the community where he grew up, giving him a unique perspective on the challenges facing the neighborhood.
Watch: Milwaukee native becomes police officer, will patrol the comunity he grew up in
"I like working with kids, and I feel like if I can reach the kids now, we can stop them from doing the things you see kids doing now," Stewart said
His mother, Tanya Benford, watched with pride as her son achieved a dream years in the making.
"Like… a very proud moment. I tried not to cry, but the tears just started flowing," Benford said.
"It's been a long journey. Jonathan's always wanted to be in law enforcement, and to see his dream come to fruition — I'm very proud," Benford said.
The ceremony was bittersweet for the family, coming after the loss of Stewart's wife.
"She had just lost her mom a couple of years ago. It was like bittersweet, and I loved it for her. That's his only daughter," Benford said.
Benford believes her son's background gives him advantages in community policing that officers from outside the neighborhood might not have.
"He can kinda spot things that someone who's not from our neighborhood wouldn't be able to see. We need to have our young Black men in our neighborhoods helping to police our young Black men," Benford said.
As Stewart prepares to begin his career in law enforcement, his mother reflected on his journey.
"From that baby that used to cry all the time, to this young man right now, I'm so very proud," Benford said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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