Milwaukee Police Chief Nannette Hegerty's unexpected (but not totally surprising) retirement announcement Friday morning impacted the city and its police department on many levels -- some obvious and some intangible -- and the reverberations will be felt for months and years to come.

On "the day after," here are some facts, reactions, questions and observations:

FACT: Hegerty, 56, was sworn in as the Milwaukee's first female police chief (17th overall) on Nov. 19, 2003, and expects to end her three-decade career with the department on Nov. 16.

"It has been a privilege to serve this community as a law enforcement officer for more than 30 years, and a distinct honor to serve as the Chief of Police for the past three years," Hegerty said in a five-paragraph memo that announced her decision.

"There is much work to be done before my retirement in November. I am confident that we, as a team, will continue to move the Department forward throughout my tenure as Chief of Police."

OBSERVATION: Hegerty's announcement jolted the city's newsrooms on a "slow news day" that would have been dominated by reports of unseasonably balmy weather. We still got shots of busy golf courses and empty ski hills, but the Hegerty story was an obvious lead despite the fact that the chief did not make herself available for interviews.

REACTIONS: While the Chief was in hiding, politicians issued statements and comments from every direction. A sampling:

Gov. Jim Doyle: "I want to thank Chief Hegerty for her years of outstanding service and dedication to the City of Milwaukee. She is an incredible leader for our community and a great role model for women across Wisconsin as the first woman to lead the department.

"In the face of some of the most demanding circumstances, Chief Hegerty has shown wisdom, poise and precision in keeping Milwaukee safe. As citizens, we put our faith in our state's police officers, and Chief Hegerty worked tirelessly to affirm that faith. I thank her for her service and dedication, and wish her all the best for her future."

Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway: "I wish Chief Nannette Hegerty well in the next chapter of her life. I thank Hegerty for her more than 30 years of law enforcement service to the community. Serving as Police Chief of Milwaukee is a complicated job. The Department has grappled with the beating of Frank Jude, Jr., and the numerous police-involved shootings in the city in recent years.

"But we need to reassess this position. We need a new chief that can handle the complexities of this job, bring even more progressiveness to the force, forge a positive working relationship with the Milwaukee Police Association and help produce the best police officers in the country.

"We also need to reassess the level of criticism that was unfairly placed on Arthur Jones when he was Chief of Police. The ‘code of silence' that was discovered during the trial involving the beating of Frank Jude, Jr., was embarrassing. You can't operate an effective police department in that type of situation. Public safety is one of the most important functions of local government."

Mayor Tom Barrett: "I have enjoyed working with Chief Hegerty and have tremendous respect for her as a person, as a law enforcement officer, and as an administrator. At the same time, I respect and understand her decision to spend more time with her husband and pursue her personal interests. Her legacy at the Milwaukee Police Department will be one to build on.

"Chief Hegerty has had a distinguished career and during her tenure as Milwaukee's seventeenth - and first female - Police Chief, she has implemented policies and strategies that have strengthened the Department and steeled our shared resolve to create a safer, stronger Milwaukee. I am personally thankful for her commitment to the citizens of Milwaukee and the high professional standards she has established within the Department. She has clearly raised the bar."

Ald. Robert Donovan: "I'm saddened by the news that Police Chief Nan Hegerty will retire at the end of her term this November. I have enjoyed a lengthy and positive working relationship with the Chief, and have a deep and abiding respect for her. I consider her a wonderful leader and a terrific lady.

"Although you might say we haven't always seen eye-to-eye on some issues, I have always known her to be forthright and committed to doing the best job as our Chief. Although I am confident that history will show her to have been a solid and steadying force for the department, she inherited many problems and was dealt a hand that wasn't exactly ideal for any chief executive. Though some of those much-publicized problems may have marred her tenure - through no fault of her own - I believe she has served our city to the best of her ability and with the utmost in integrity and ethical standards.

As we search for a new chief this year, we would do well to make sure that person embodies many of the fine qualities found in Chief Hegerty."

Ald. Michael McGee, Jr. echoed his colleagues' good wishes for Hegerty, but added: "I would really like to see the Chief resign earlier than November. With the current climate of violence in Milwaukee, we can't afford to have a lame duck chief heading our Police Department.

"With morale in the department at an all-time low, we simply cannot afford to have the safety of our citizens put at risk by an atmosphere of complacency."

FACT: When Hegerty reaches the end of her term, she will be 57 and eligible for a city pension.

OBSERVATION: If you are interested in handicapping the pool of candidates to replace Hegerty, you could probably start with people who missed out the last time around: That list includes Ramon Galaviz, who runs the department's training bureau, Johnny Smith, a former captain who works for the Wisconsin Division of Gaming, and Richard Oliva, who works in the patrol support division and Michael Young, a captain in the intelligence division.

FACT: Hegerty received credit when crime dropped during her first year on the job, but also took heat when it rose in the ensuing period. Had she not retired, increased gun violence, high-profile crimes, cruising problems and an unflattering portrayal in a national news magazine may have threatened her chances of earning another term.

OBSERVATION: In addition to a highly-publicized computer problem, Hegerty was hamstrung by budget problems during her tenure that prevented her from putting as many officers on the street as she would have liked. Some of the same alderman who criticized her department's performance also ignored her pleas for more money.

QUESTION / OBSERVATION: If the Milwaukee Police Dept. had a Missing Persons Bureau, would the officers be looking for Mayor Barrett? OK, that was a bit of a cheap shot. But, it's clear that the selection of a new chief will be a pivotal issue for Barrett leading up to the next mayoral election in 2008.

OBSERVATION / QUESTION: After 110 years of selecting white men as police chief, Milwaukee in the past decade has selected its first African-American chief (Arthur Jones) and first woman (Hegerty). Will Barrett feel pressure to hire a minority this time around? Some feel that he may have to as a preemptive strike against potential opponents in 2008.

OBSERVATION: Although Hegerty was lauded for improving the morale and professionalism of the department, the defining episode of her tenure was probably the beating of Frank Jude, Jr., who was beaten by off-duty police officers outside a party at a Bay View home. Hegerty fired nine officers, suspended three and demoted one. Members of the Milwaukee Police Association later criticized Hegerty for overzealous internal investigations into more mundane matters.

OBSERVATION: Although the Journal Sentinel was the first local outlet to report on Hegerty's announcement, coverage of the story on the paper's Web site was abysmal. For most of the day, the item linked from JS Online's front page was a 256-word blurb from the DayWatch section. That was barely longer than the original item and just 49 words more than the blurb devoted to the new Brewers TV announcer. A lengthier story was later posted in the Metro section of the site, but it was not easy to find.

OBSERVATION: The Milwaukee Police Dept. Web site (http://www.ci.mil.wi.us/MilwaukeePoliceDepar317.htm) contains a history section with information about the 17 city police chiefs (http://www.ci.mil.wi.us/History779.htm). Unfortunately, some of the biographies of the chiefs appear to be password-protected.