Good early reviews for MPD chief nominee

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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Minneapolis city leaders are taking critical steps to address concerns about increased violent crime and reforming policing. One is a plan to collaborate with other agencies to put more law enforcement boots on the ground more quickly. Another is bringing new reform-minded leadership to the Minneapolis Police Department.

Mayor Jacob Frey recently nominated Brian O'Hara to lead the MPD and make much-needed changes to boost accountability and rebuild community trust following George Floyd's murder.

In meetings last weekend with various groups around the city, O'Hara said if confirmed he would act swiftly if officer misconduct cases cross his desk and institute a zero-tolerance policy for racism on the force. He vowed to build a department "so good, so respected, that people of all races and backgrounds will want to be a part of this positive change."

Currently the deputy mayor of Newark, N.J., the 43-year-old O'Hara began his career as a police officer in that city in 2001 and rose to leadership positions including public safety director and deputy chief. Should the City Council approve his nomination, O'Hara will become the first chief from outside the department in 16 years.

Council Vice President Linea Palmisano, who participated in the final interviews, noted in an interview with the Star Tribune that O'Hara has experience working under the kind of consent decree Minneapolis is expected to face. She also liked that he showed curiosity about the range of groups involved in discussions about police accountability and public safety in the city.

On Thursday, O'Hara told editorial writers he's committed to making the culture change the MPD needs as the department is being rebuilt with recruits. He also said he'd be a chief who would engage with and listen to both the community and MPD officers.

Longtime north Minneapolis resident Jeanne Harris, who participated in a public meeting on selecting a chief, told the Star Tribune last month that although O'Hara was not her first choice, he seems "eminently qualified."

"The main thing is that we have new blood now, so we're starting off fresh," Harris said. "The expectations are that we're going to have fair and effective policing, and that everybody is going to be held accountable for their actions."

News of O'Hara's nomination came a week after Frey announced "Operation Endeavor" while standing alongside Minneapolis' relatively new public safety commissioner, Cedric Alexander, several police inspectors, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, U.S. Marshal Eddie Frizell and others.

"This is not a half-hearted approach," Frey said of the initiative. "Every person that you see up here is all-in on this plan."

This is not the first time the city has worked with other agencies to address public safety. But what's different about this effort, according to Alexander, is that it will be "longstanding" and use data to shift resources more quickly to where the needs are greatest.

"We're in this for as long as it takes," not just for a few months, he told an editorial writer this week. Alexander said you could already see an increased police presence downtown and in some of the hot spot areas of the city. He added that cooperation with other agencies had yielded increased gun and drug-related arrests, as well as arrests of more carjackers.

It will take time to determine if the plans outlined by Frey — and his choices for key leadership positions — will restore police accountability and bolster public safety in Minneapolis. Frey, Alexander and O'Hara are saying the right things. But messaging is not as important as action and results.