That's because, with only six months before Olson leaves, the city has not engaged in any visible executive search for a new chief. They have also made no mechanism for community involvement in the choice of a new chief.
The chief of police is one of the most important positions in this city. Not only does that person control a huge portion of our city's budget but they oversee an approximately 1,100 member work force that is licensed to carry guns and other weapons and to potentially hurt or kill people in the course of their duties. The chief makes decisions that can wreak havoc on some people's lives (like CODEFOR, "shoot-to-kill," and the unwritten "crime containment" policies) as well as policies that determine the diversity of the force, police-community relations and other very important factors in the life of this city. Yet this is an unelected position.
In most every job I've hired for, I've always interviewed multiple candidates. That way, I had a field of people to choose from. Under the Minneapolis city charter, the mayor/executive committee is ultimately responsible for selecting the chief of police, with the council giving their stamp of approval. They could legally do it with absolutely no input from the community. But the question is not what's legal, but what's wise. With so many issues on the table, you would think they would WANT input from community members. Why hasn't there been any way for this to happen? And I mean a real process--not just some lame community meeting after the selection is a foregone conclusion.
The next chief will reshape the department, for better or worse. Community members, the "end users" of police services, should have a say in this redesign by having a say in who that chief will be.
Michelle Gross Bryn Mawr Communities United Against Police Brutality
TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.)
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