Head of Wisconsin State Patrol set to retire

MADISON — The head of Wisconsin's State Patrol is ready to retire.

Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent Stephen Fitzgerald will step down Aug. 5 after five years leading the agency. Gov. Scott Walker's office announced his retirement Thursday.

His retirement caps a 50-year career in law enforcement that also included a 14-year stint as Dodge County Sheriff. Walker thanked Fitzgerald for his steady leadership of the state patrol.

Fitzgerald's appointment as head of the state patrol raised some eyebrows in 2011. His two sons held top leadership positions in the House and Senate at the time Walker appointed him.

Walker's office says the announcement of his successor is forthcoming.