A Milwaukee Police Department captain who previously was suspended for a slow response to a rape call was fired after thwarting the transfer of a sergeant whom she believed was planning to become pregnant and take family leave, according to recently released records detailed in a May 5 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story by David Clarey.
The former captain, Roberta Klein, then came under more scrutiny for telling a co-worker about the resulting internal investigation into her conduct, the records say. A police spokesperson said Klein’s firing in January was the only termination of a captain the department could recall.
The current investigation began in January 2024, when a department lieutenant reported Klein’s General Crimes Division was on the verge of “mutiny,” records show. “(The lieutenant) questioned if Captain Klein was mature enough to be leading the division,” the report reads.
The division is now known as the Major Crimes Division and investigates crimes other than homicides or gun violence. Klein was notified in January 2024 that she was under investigation. Per department policy, she was told not to disclose the investigation to anyone. However, investigators learned she showed a notice of the investigation to another colleague.
Klein’s relationship with another police sergeant — whom she called her “little nugget” and who was also investigated — came under scrutiny in the investigation. A lieutenant told internal affairs their close relationship “compromised” the division’s culture, with the lieutenant feeling undermined by the sergeant and Klein.
