Official Asked to Resign in Wake of City Theft Scandal

A member of the Waukesha Police & Fire Commission has been asked to resign after being investigated for theft from the city, according to City Administrator Ed Henschel.

Dan Owens is one of three employees that were under investigation for the theft of scrap metal while working for the city’s Department of Public Works, Henschel said. He has resigned from employment with the City of Waukesha, but has not resigned from his position on the PFC.

The PFC , under state statutes, is responsible for hiring and firing fire and police chiefs. Waukesha’s fire and police chiefs want to hire employees have to first receive approval from the PFC. Additionally, the PFC listens to contested suspensions and requests for termination.

Owens investigation is completely separate from an investigation into Waukesha Fire Chief Jesse Alba, who is fighting allegations that he violated city policies before he was named fire chief by the PFC. City leaders asked Alba to resign and when he did not, they filed a formal complaint against Alba seeking his dismissal.

It is unknown if Owens will be on the PFC when the complaint against Alba is first heard.

“Should Mr. Owens decide not to resign from the PFC, we have to have the city council go through the hearing process to force that removal,” Henschel said.

Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel has not concluded his investigation before issuing charges as the city employees’ lawyers have urged him to look at long-standing practices in the DPW, the Waukesha Freeman reported Friday.

DPW employees were told by their supervisors to sell scrap metal while working for the city and to bring to the office, Owen’s attorney, Dan Fay, told the Waukesha Freeman. The money would then be used for various off-the-budget expenditures in the department.

“I don’t deny that this was an ongoing practice in the public works department,” Henschel told Patch. “We know that it was going on at least as long as 2009 and probably before that.”

However, when a relatively new department superintendent started working with the city, he felt the practice was “inappropriate,” Henschel said. The supervisor reported the actions to high-level city staff members.

“It has now come to a head,” Henschel said.