By Kathy Gaillard
Denita Ball is the first African American female to serve as Milwaukee County Sheriff and while she has earned a prestigious career in law enforcement, she veered away from the careers she initially considered.
“I wanted to become a scientist, but I did not want to take all the science courses required to become one. Then, growing up my brother kept getting into trouble with the law, so I thought I would help my mother with some of the legal fees he was accruing by becoming a lawyer and representing him,” said Ball.
Born to a single mom in a small town in Arkansas, Sheriff Ball was raised by her grandmother from a young age, after her mother moved to Milwaukee. Her grandmother stressed the importance of faith and education. As a result, Denita’s strong faith became a central point in her life and she became a lifelong learner. When her grandmother tragically passed away, she was placed in foster care, eventually living in two different foster homes. She remained focused on her education and graduated high school with honors. She was then awarded an academic scholarship to the University of Arkansas where she excelled academically and received numerous awards and honors.
Sheriff Ball has steadily risen through the ranks of law enforcement and, along the way, continued her thirst for education by earning academic degrees that put her in a class all by herself. With over 35 years of experience in law enforcement and criminal justice education, Dr. Ball is prepared to take the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s office to the next level.
Even with her record of accomplishment and academic accolades, Sheriff Ball considers herself to be a public servant and is quick to praise her staff and the people she meets in the community.
“Meeting people and working with staff are the most fulfilling aspects of my job. There are so many people that care about this community. The people that I work with are doing a lot of great work behind the scenes that we don’t hear or know about. I like the dedication and commitment to the community that I see on a daily basis,” said Sheriff Ball.
The driving force behind Sheriff Ball’s rise in rank has been her passion for improving the daily interactions people have with law enforcement. She is also committed to ensuring that people, particularly those in crisis, are connected to resources that are available.
“One of the greatest challenges of this job is the county and state budgetary restraints. We could do so much more with more resources. For example, if we don’t have the ability to make people feel safe, they don’t go out into the community, use our parks and experience or take advantage of other community services. Oftentimes I see people at their worst. I would like for us to be able to do more for them, especially when they are in crisis,” said Sheriff Ball.
Acknowledging that the covid-19 pandemic created unique challenges, Sheriff Ball commends her staff for overcoming unprecedented challenges.
“We only housed individuals that had committed felony or serious misdemeanors during the pandemic. To minimize the spread of covid-19, we used videoconferencing with judges so that people could have their day in court, but because people started committing more crimes, we still ended up with a backlog. Everyone had to look at different ways to do their daily tasks while, at the same time, think about themselves and their families,” said Sheriff Ball.
On the heels of the pandemic, Sheriff Ball is hopeful for the future.
“If we come together and work together, we can have a better and greater impact than working in our individual silos. We must all be concerned about the community. We should want everyone not just to survive, but to thrive. If everyone is thriving, we will see a greater impact and a downward spiral in some areas where we have seen an increase (in crime). Some people don’t value human life anymore and we must find ways to let them know that everyone is of value. We must look at some of those challenges and shore up resources so they can thrive. I am hopeful for the future and with us working together we can all have a positive impact,” said Sheriff Ball.
Milwaukee is grateful to have a servant leader at the helm of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s office who is making a positive deposit into the community. She is a diamond.