Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara is moving to reorganize his front office by expanding the number of command positions, a change he says will lead to increased accountability as the force prepares for monitorship under a federal consent decree.
Minneapolis police chief seeks restructuring, expansion of command staff
Brian O'Hara says the change will lead to increased accountability as the force prepares for monitorship under a federal consent decree.
February 21, 2023 at 10:21PM
As part of the restructuring, O'Hara would appoint a second assistant chief of police and reclassify the chief of staff job — historically held by a sworn officer — as a civilian administrative role. Those are meant to be part of a larger shakeup that would fundamentally rework MPD's executive leadership team.
"In order to move forward with police reform — and also to address the very serious issues we have with crime ... we need people in positions to have ethical accountability," he told members of the City Council's Policy & Government Oversight Committee on Tuesday,
O'Hara is limited in increasing the size of his command staff by a 1961 state law that caps the number of deputy chiefs within the agency to three. "We're working with legislators to get that statute repealed," he said, noting that he'd like to build an executive team that more closely mirrors the hierarchy of the Minneapolis Fire Department. MFD employs two assistant chiefs and seven deputy chiefs.
In a short presentation to council members, O'Hara outlined his vision for an organizational chart that splits major divisions between two assistant chiefs. One would be responsible for overseeing all crime-fighting operations, such as investigations and patrol; the other tasked with leading community outreach efforts and Internal Affairs, to ensure officers uphold the principles of procedural justice.
As second in command, the assistant chief has traditionally managed the department's day-to-day operations, freeing the chief to focus on major policy issues. The newly proposed position — with an annual salary ranging from $159,921 to $189,576 — would be tailored toward crime prevention and bolstering public relations through engagement and recruiting.
O'Hara is also seeking to civilianize the chief of staff position, a high-powered role which oversees departmentwide initiatives and acts as the chief's proxy, both at City Hall in the community. That position starts at $139,977 and tops out at $165,933.
The reshuffling comes as MPD is struggling to rebuild public trust and recruit new officers to backfill its depleted ranks following the murder of George Floyd. O'Hara cautioned elected officials Tuesday that ongoing negotiations with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and an anticipated consent decree by the U.S. Justice Department will result in mandated police reforms that require "higher levels of review," and additional staffing to implement.
However, council members Jeremiah Ellison and LaTrisha Vetaw both recommended delaying the vote until the council received a more detailed explanation for each of the new appointments and how they would improve the agency.
"I think that these positions may very well be necessary, but I do think it's important for us to have broader discussions," said Ellison, who serves as committee chair. "I want us all to understand what we're approving before we go ahead and vote on that."
The body voted 5 to 0 in favor of tabling the vote until the next meeting. The appointments will require approval by the full City Council.
From small businesses to giants like Target, retailers are benefitting from the $10 billion industry for South Korean pop music, including its revival of physical album sales.
