May 2012: Minneapolis police chief Tim Dolan announces his upcoming retirement. Mayor R.T. Rybak names Harteau his likely replacement. "I think she's fantastic," said then-Council Member Betsy Hodges. Harteau has policing, administrative and people skills, said Hodges, who called herself an unqualified supporter.
November 2012: Harteau said she will serve as the face of the department in times of crisis, rather than her predecessor Dolan, who often let subordinates speak for the department. "They will know I am chief, because I will be delivering the bad news," she said in an interview. "I will stand by the decisions that are made."
December 2012: Harteau receives unanimous council approval and is sworn in as the city's police chief. She is the first woman chief in the department's history, as well as the first gay chief.
May 2013: Terrence Franklin, a black man, is killed during a brawl with five Minneapolis police officers in the basement of an uptown Minneapolis house. Police said later that Franklin was armed, shooting two officers in the legs. The officers were not charged. A police vehicle speeding to the scene collided with a motorcycle, killing the rider, Ivan Romero Olivares, and injuring his passenger.
June 2013: Two Minneapolis police officers off-duty in Green Bay use racial slurs while scuffling with a group of men. Green Bay police said they "expected preferential treatment" when they confronted Green Bay police for not acting. The officers are later fired. This and another racially-motivated incident in Apple Valley cause outcry throughout the summer, and Harteau, saying "This is not who we are" assures that hiring and training practices will be re-examined.
October 2013: Three Minneapolis City Council members, including Betsy Hodges, unveil a push for a body camera program for the MPD. A spokesperson for Harteau, who was not part of the news conference, said the department "is not at a point at this time to move forward with body cameras in the near future."
