Frey taps political veteran as temporary community safety commissioner, replacing Cedric Alexander

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has tapped Lee Sheehy, a veteran public servant seen as a steady hand during uncertainty, to replace outgoing Community Safety Commissioner Cedric Alexander on an interim basis.

"Lee has a long history of navigating complex challenges," Frey said in an interview Friday.

Sheehy will take charge of the office that oversees police and four other city departments on Sept. 1, when Alexander will leave after serving a just over a year as the city's first commissioner.

Among Sheehy's primary goals is to assist Frey in the search for a permanent commissioner — a process the mayor hopes won't take long.

"We are moving very quickly," Frey said, adding: "An announcement in early September would be on the earlier side."

Sheehy is not a candidate, both men said Friday.

Steady hand

Sheehy, 72, has a résumé extending to the early 1970s, when he was an investigator for the U.S. Senate Watergate Committee.

After earning his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School, he worked as deputy attorney general under Democrat Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III. He also served as head of planning and economic development for Minneapolis under former Mayor R.T. Rybak. His career evolved into one where prominent leaders, usually Democrats, sought Sheehy out as a reliable administrator, often to handle delicate situations, and he was appointed to positions by former Govs. Jesse Ventura and Mark Dayton.

Frey leaned on Sheehy last year to head the search for a permanent replacement for City Attorney Jim Rowader. In June, the mayor brought Sheehy out of what Sheehy described as "semi-retirement" to serve as interim deputy city operations officer for development, health and livability while a permanent person is sought.

"I've always considered public service a privilege," Sheehy said.

Frey and Sheehy said they're not yet sure how much Sheehy will be paid for what is expected to be a brief tenure; no contract had been set as of Friday morning.

Sheehy described himself as having "modest fluency" in law enforcement, although he has never overseen a police department.

Asked how he saw his new role, Sheehy said: "To set up the next commissioner for success. I'm just going to be a bridge."

Next commissioner

The Office of Community Safety and the commissioner position were created last year as part of a move to change public safety in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder. The commissioner, with a staff of eight or so, answers directly to the mayor and oversees the city's five emergency departments: Police, Fire, Emergency Management, 911 and Neighborhood Safety (formerly known as the Office of Violence Prevention).

The goal: coordinate traditionally siloed services so that, for example, armed officers are not the sole response to someone experiencing a mental health crisis.

For the foreseeable future, another key task of the next commissioner will be to help ensure that reforms mandated by federal and state court settlements are enacted smoothly, legally and with the public's trust.

"It's a big role," Frey said of the job's various demands for the future of public safety and race relations in the city. "We're talking about rolling out something that has never been done before, ever."

On Friday, the city updated the job posting. Like Alexander, the next commissioner would be the city's highest-paid employee, with a salary range of $301,803.34 to $361,441.60 annually.

The next commissioner needn't be a current or former police officer, Frey said, noting that when Alexander, a former cop, was hired, the police chief chair was vacant.

"We need a big-picture thinker that is excellent at both coordinating and collaborating," Frey said. "We need someone that is not only going to bring together these five departments in a seamless fashion but is also able to provide a clear and straightforward vision for where this work is going to go, to the public."

Frey said he's already begun informally contacting potential candidates and taking suggestions from City Council members and community leaders. He's not planning on holding public interviews for candidates.

The next commissioner would need confirmation by the City Council.