GREENFIELD, WI – The Greenfield Police chief is facing felony misconduct charges after prosecutors allege the chief misused a department surveillance camera in order to monitor his own home while his divorce was ongoing.
This past April, Greenfield Police Chief Jay Johnson was placed on paid administrative leave following a singular police-owned surveillance camera which has caused quite the stir within Milwaukee County. At the time of Chief Johnson’s initial placement on leave, Mayor Michael Neitzke didn’t publicly divulge what the issue at hand was, only describing the issue as “a personnel matter.”
Roughly two weeks after Chief Johnson was placed on leave, he would personally address the media regarding the debacle saying he was placed on leave for allegedly authorizing the use of a city camera, creating a toxic workplace and talking down to a union worker. While it’s unclear whether there was any merit to the vague workplace allegations referenced by Chief Johnson this past May, it would appear the bulk of his problems stem from the surveillance camera which led to his November indictment.
Chief Johnson’s legal conundrum dates back to a December 2024 phone call he had with Mayor Neitzke where Chief Johnson asked whether he could have a police-owned surveillance camera installed outside his home. According to the indictment, Chief Johnson apparently wanted the camera to assist in a restraining order he sought against his wife who he was in the process of divorcing due to concerns of her new boyfriend who is an ex-con.
These police-owned cameras are affixed to electrical poles when installed, which said installation requires a We Energies technician. At the time of this December 2024 phone call, Mayor Neitzke allegedly told the chief that “if he thought he could do it, to go ahead.” However, Mayor Neitzke opted to bring the city attorney up to speed on Chief Johnson’s inquiry shortly after the phone call, which the city attorney cited the legal and ethical concerns and personally contacted Chief Johnson to convey the same.
Despite being warned about the optics and possible legal ramifications of using department resources to such a degree of personal use, prosecutors say Chief Johnson instructed Greenfield Police Captain Chuck Fletcher to arrange to have a camera installed outside his home. As noted in the indictment, Chief Johnson allegedly withheld from Captain Fletcher “of the City Attorney advising him not to install the camera.”
The city’s human resources director was informed about the camera installed outside Chief Johnson’s home in April, which aligns with his placement on leave. A meeting was reportedly held between Chief Johnson and city officials before he was placed on leave in order to “discuss a possible resolution,” but Chief Johnson allegedly “became very irate, denied the charges, and refused to listen to the offer presented to him.”
On November 10th, Chief Johnson appeared in court alongside his attorney, Jacob Manian, who made the argument that his client was simply operating off the permission he thought he obtained by the mayor during the December 2024 phone call about the surveillance camera.
“At no point was that authorization to use the camera rescinded or revoked,” Manian said before the court, adding, “The city attorney may have offered his opinion that it was a bad idea - every day, people don’t listen to their lawyers, believe me.”
Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Nicolas Heitman shot back at Manian claiming his client was acting in good faith, saying, “The mayor specifically tells the city attorney to tell the defendant not to do this, and he does it anyway.”
Chief Johnson is out of custody following a $5,000 signature bond and faces up to three-and-a-half years in prison if convicted of the felony misconduct charge.
This past April, Greenfield Police Chief Jay Johnson was placed on paid administrative leave following a singular police-owned surveillance camera which has caused quite the stir within Milwaukee County. At the time of Chief Johnson’s initial placement on leave, Mayor Michael Neitzke didn’t publicly divulge what the issue at hand was, only describing the issue as “a personnel matter.”
Roughly two weeks after Chief Johnson was placed on leave, he would personally address the media regarding the debacle saying he was placed on leave for allegedly authorizing the use of a city camera, creating a toxic workplace and talking down to a union worker. While it’s unclear whether there was any merit to the vague workplace allegations referenced by Chief Johnson this past May, it would appear the bulk of his problems stem from the surveillance camera which led to his November indictment.
Chief Johnson’s legal conundrum dates back to a December 2024 phone call he had with Mayor Neitzke where Chief Johnson asked whether he could have a police-owned surveillance camera installed outside his home. According to the indictment, Chief Johnson apparently wanted the camera to assist in a restraining order he sought against his wife who he was in the process of divorcing due to concerns of her new boyfriend who is an ex-con.
These police-owned cameras are affixed to electrical poles when installed, which said installation requires a We Energies technician. At the time of this December 2024 phone call, Mayor Neitzke allegedly told the chief that “if he thought he could do it, to go ahead.” However, Mayor Neitzke opted to bring the city attorney up to speed on Chief Johnson’s inquiry shortly after the phone call, which the city attorney cited the legal and ethical concerns and personally contacted Chief Johnson to convey the same.
Despite being warned about the optics and possible legal ramifications of using department resources to such a degree of personal use, prosecutors say Chief Johnson instructed Greenfield Police Captain Chuck Fletcher to arrange to have a camera installed outside his home. As noted in the indictment, Chief Johnson allegedly withheld from Captain Fletcher “of the City Attorney advising him not to install the camera.”
The city’s human resources director was informed about the camera installed outside Chief Johnson’s home in April, which aligns with his placement on leave. A meeting was reportedly held between Chief Johnson and city officials before he was placed on leave in order to “discuss a possible resolution,” but Chief Johnson allegedly “became very irate, denied the charges, and refused to listen to the offer presented to him.”
On November 10th, Chief Johnson appeared in court alongside his attorney, Jacob Manian, who made the argument that his client was simply operating off the permission he thought he obtained by the mayor during the December 2024 phone call about the surveillance camera.
“At no point was that authorization to use the camera rescinded or revoked,” Manian said before the court, adding, “The city attorney may have offered his opinion that it was a bad idea - every day, people don’t listen to their lawyers, believe me.”
Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Nicolas Heitman shot back at Manian claiming his client was acting in good faith, saying, “The mayor specifically tells the city attorney to tell the defendant not to do this, and he does it anyway.”
Chief Johnson is out of custody following a $5,000 signature bond and faces up to three-and-a-half years in prison if convicted of the felony misconduct charge.
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Comments
2025-11-13T09:46-0500 | Comment by: Raconteur
Charge him for the entire amount that his escapade has cost the city, plus his pay while it was ongoing, get him some professional counselling IRT to his divorce and call it done.