Equity and Inclusion

Based on feedback from community conversations, the Common Council has identified increasing the amount of affordable housing, including affordable home ownership, as a key initiative to advancing equity in Wauwatosa.

Other related initiatives include:

• The Common Council’s Committee of the Whole (COW) participated in a presentation on impediments to fair housing in Wauwatosa and the greater Milwaukee area. Staff discussed initial actions the city has taken and can undertake to address these impediments at a recent meeting of the Equity and Inclusion Committee. Staff will continue to work with the Equity and Inclusion Committee and other committees as they continue to develop policy and program recommendations.
• The Zone Tosa for All project gathered community feedback to make our zoning and land use decisions equitable. One of the goals of this project is to create policies that allow for a range of housing options for people residing both inside and outside of Wauwatosa.
• The City of Wauwatosa operates a housing rehabilitation program to address home repairs for low to moderate income households.

Based on feedback from community conversations, the Common Council has identified increasing the number of minority owned and operated businesses as a key initiative to advancing equity in Wauwatosa.

The Development Department is currently working with a consultant to collect data on the minority-owned businesses operating in Wauwatosa and determine a list of types of minority-owned businesses and stakeholder surveys. This data will allow staff to better recommend steps to address barriers to opening a business.

The city will track and evaluate its spending with women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by members of the LGBTQ community to ensure fairness in purchasing.

Based on feedback from community conversations, the Common Council has identified continuing to evolve police services as a key initiative to advancing equity in Wauwatosa.

The Common Council has recognized the importance of this recommendation in 2020 and committed to a study of the Police Department with the Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM). The study addresses four areas:

1. Recruitment strategies – a review of hiring practices and how well they promote diversity. Recommendations on other strategies that the city can employ to further diversify the Police Department.
2. Alternative responses and efficiency in delivering services – a review of data for police calls for service. Recommendations to the city about what type of expert or staff member would be the best to respond to certain calls for service.
3. Policy review – a review of the Police Department policies for efficacy and equity with a specific focus on best practices with use of force.
4. Training assessment – review training program in the Police Department. Make recommendations on the quantity and quality of training against best practices, particularly in the areas of mental health and equity. Does the training currently provided deter racial bias and excessive use of force? What steps can the city take to better deter these items?

The completed study and 39 specific recommendations were presented to the Common Council’s Committee of the Whole on July 6, 2021.

Banning Chokeholds

On August 4, 2020, the Wauwatosa Common Council approved an ordinance prohibiting the use of carotid and neck restraints.

Body Cameras

We have purchased body-worn cameras for the Wauwatosa Police Department. As of 2021, these cameras have been deployed and are being used.

Complaint and Commendation Process

The Wauwatosa Police Department has published an online form for complaints and/or commendations.

Based on feedback from community conversations, the Common Council has identified addressing the lack of accessible public space and housing for individuals with disabilities as a key initiative to advancing equity in Wauwatosa.

The Zone Tosa for All project gathered community feedback to make our zoning and land use decisions equitable. Goals of this project include ensuring that all residents have equal access to housing, parks, and transportation and increasing accessibility for people with disabilities.

Based on feedback from community conversations, the Common Council has identified continuing to enhance city communications to further develop transparency around city equity initiatives as a key initiative to advancing equity in Wauwatosa.

The city communications team is committed to ensuring that all Wauwatosa residents can easily learn about the city’s progress on equity initiatives and opportunities to get involved in local government through the city’s website, social media, and newsletters.

• Sign up for newsletters to stay informed.
• View agendas for upcoming meetings.
• Connect with us on social media and other channels.

City presentation on Equity

City staff gave a presentation about the ways in which all city departments are building an equity focus into city operations. Some of the highlights include:

• Purchasing – how the city will track and evaluate its spending with women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by members of the LGBTQ community
• A study of equity and policing including an analysis of recruitment strategy related to the police department, a review of police department policies for equity with a focus on use of force procedures, and an assessment of training practices
• Revise the city’s economic development policy with an equity lens and propose creating an affordable housing fund

View the video and pdf presentation on the Meeting Portal.

Citywide Equity and Inclusion Statement

The Equity and Inclusion Commission recommended a citywide statement that was drafted in collaboration with commission members and city staff. The reason for this statement is to provide the public with clarity about the reasons why Wauwatosa values equity and inclusion and the ways we work towards these values at the city level. The Wauwatosa Common Council adopted this statement on January 18, 2022. View the equity and inclusion statement.

Wauwatosa adopted the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s pledge to “Make Milwaukee a Region of Choice.” Part of this pledge included making efforts to increase diversity in City management by 25% and increase diversity in City employment by 15% by the year 2025. In 2022, Wauwatosa met that pledge’s growth goals.

Although we met these goals, we also acknowledge that our management and employee diversity does not match that of the City of Wauwatosa population. We are currently working with community partners to actively recruit from diverse networks, and we are committed to providing a dynamic and supportive workplace for all of our employees.

For a complete breakdown of employee demographics by department, you can read this employee diversity statistics report.