The Madison Common Council voted 14-6 early Wednesday to end the provisional appointment of Interim Independent Police Monitor Aeiramique “Meeka” Glass, effective immediately, after a meeting that stretched more than 12 hours.
Glass’s tenure included high-profile clashes with the Madison Police Department. Following the July officer-involved shooting death of Corey Ruiz, she opened a separate investigation and sought records that the city attorney said state law restricted during the ongoing Division of Criminal Investigation review. On Aug. 4, during the clearing of a related protest encampment, drone video captured a physical confrontation between Glass and officers.
A Madison officer later obtained a four-year restraining order against Glass after alleging that Glass pushed and scratched her; Glass did not appear at the hearing. In a video posted afterward, Glass said she would “f—ing burn this city down,” a statement she and her counsel later described as figurative. Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway called the comment disturbing for a city employee.
The resolution, introduced Oct. 6 by Ald. Will Ochowicz and co-sponsored by Council President Sabrina Madison and several other alders, terminates the extension of Glass’s appointment through March 31, 2027. Common Council Chief of Staff Karen Kapusta-Pofahl will supervise Office of the Independent Monitor staff until a permanent monitor is hired.
The measure also directs engagement with the National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement to support the transition.
Glass was selected by the Police Civilian Oversight Board in late 2025 after the resignation of the city’s first monitor. Her provisional role, which began Dec. 8, 2025, included operating the office and serving as hiring manager for a permanent monitor—a position for which she was ineligible. The council had extended the appointment in June after the original six-to-nine-month timeline elapsed without a completed search.
An Oct. 2 review by the city attorney’s office, prepared in response to inquiries from alders and the public, found no approved position description, job posting, candidate screening or interviews for the permanent role nearly 10 months after Glass’s start. The review also cited other issues, including potential violations of city rules on contracts, budgeting and open meetings, communication breakdowns with city officials, and multiple human resources complaints about Glass’s conduct. Sponsors said the failure to advance the hiring process constituted a breach of the terms of her provisional appointment.
Public testimony on the resolution, which began about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, drew roughly 140 registered speakers and lasted until about 4 a.m. Wednesday, with the large majority opposing termination. After additional questioning of staff and two failed motions to postpone, Vice President Carmella Glenn moved to call the question shortly before 7 a.m., when the Municipal Court needed the room. The final vote occurred without further debate. Glenn, Julia Matthews, Ellen Zhang, Barbara Harrington-McKinney, Davey Mayer and Devine Nzegwu voted no.
Glass’s salary was reported between approximately $148,000 and $154,000. The office’s 2026 operating budget was about $405,000. With the interim appointment ended, the council’s chief of staff will oversee day-to-day operations while the search for a permanent monitor proceeds.
