Chief of Police
Waukesha Police Department
Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States
Chief Daniel Thompson began his law enforcement career with the Milwaukee Police Department in 1991. During his time in patrol, he was selected for special assignments with the Gang Squad and Metro Drug Unit.
In 1999, he was promoted to Detective. As a Detective, he worked for five years in HIDTA (High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area). This task force is a federally funded group of Detectives and Officers from both federal and local agencies to target drug trafficking organizations. He was also selected to become a member of the Milwaukee Hazardous Devices Unit (Bomb Squad), which is a 24/7 365 day on-call commitment. Chief Daniel then worked in the Homicide Unit for approximately five years. He was a Task Force Agent assigned full-time to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in disrupting and dismantling international and domestic terrorist threats.
When he was promoted to Lieutenant, he was assigned to the Intelligence Fusion Division and became the Director for STAC (Southeastern Wisconsin Threat Analysis Center). In addition, he was assigned to the Homicide Unit as a Lieutenant. He was then promoted to Captain and led the Fusion Division in leveraging technology and partnerships with state, federal, and local agencies, as well as the private sector.
In 2019, Thompson was promoted to the Inspector of Police and oversaw operations of the City of Milwaukee. He was also assigned to manage and lead the team to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
On May 4th, 2020 Thompson was sworn in as Chief of Police for the City of Waukesha.
His personal and professional accomplishments include being a certified public manager Wisconsin Command College Class Six), and a certified professional manager. He also has a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership.
Challenging the Old Playbook: How the Next Generation of Chiefs will Lead
Sunday, October 19, 2025
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM MT
Supporting Growth After Tragedy
Monday, October 20, 2025
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM MT
When the Unthinkable Happens: Mental Wellness Strategies for Surviving the Darkest Days
Monday, October 20, 2025
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM MT
Beyond the Badge: Revolutionizing Officer Wellness with AI and Peer Support
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM MT