 Today, Mayor Jacob Frey announced the process and timeline for selecting Minneapolis' next Chief of Police, launching a local and national search aimed at identifying a leader who can continue driving down crime, build on the department's recent progress in officer recruitment, retention and well-being, strengthen community trust and critical reforms, and lead the Minneapolis Police Department into its next chapter.
The search will begin immediately, with the goal of selecting the City's next police chief within approximately 16 weeks following engagement with City leaders, Council Members, police personnel, and community stakeholders.
"Selecting a police chief is one of the most important decisions a mayor can make," said Mayor Jacob Frey. "We've made significant progress to make Minneapolis safer over the last several years, but we still have work to do. This position demands someone who can lead a complex department, support officers, build trust with residents, and continue delivering results – both fighting crime and making reforms. Filling this role is a priority, so we're going to conduct a thorough search and get this right."
The City will partner with a national executive search firm to recruit and evaluate candidates from across the country, while encouraging qualified internal candidates to apply. Throughout the process, community stakeholders, public safety leaders, City staff, and elected officials will have opportunities to provide input.
Phase 1: Project Design and Stakeholder Engagement
- Gather feedback on the position profile, desired qualifications, and leadership priorities
- Conduct Minneapolis Police Department employee survey on what characteristics the next chief should have
- Hold City Council focus groups
- Develop police chief position profile and recruitment materials
- Community engagement opportunities with Council panelists
- Finalize candidate recruitment strategy
Phase 2: Posting and Recruitment
- Launch national recruitment campaign
- Post position on City and national professional websites
- Accept and review applications
Phase 3: Screening Interviews
- Conduct candidate evaluation
- Complete initial screening interviews
- Prepare search report and presentation of candidates
Phase 4: First-Round Interviews
- Conduct first-round interviews with semifinalists
- Interview panels may include:
- Office of Community Safety department leaders
- Minneapolis Police Department leadership
- Police labor representatives
Phase 5: Second-Round Interviews
- Conduct second-round interviews
- Interview panel may include:
- Office of Community Safety leadership
- City Council Members
Phase 6: Final Interviews and Selection
- Final interviews with Mayor Frey, Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette, and other City leaders
- Preferred candidate selected
October – November
- Nomination submitted to Minneapolis City Council
- Council review and confirmation process
- New Chief of Police confirmed
More information on the panels and interview process will be shared in the coming weeks. Historically, similar staff searches have taken an average of four months. The last police search took eight months.
In recent years, Minneapolis has seen substantial reductions in violent crime, including significant declines in shootings, gun violence, and carjackings. At the same time, the Minneapolis Police Department has made meaningful progress implementing reforms, rebuilding its workforce, and growing the largest Community Safety Officer program in Minneapolis history.
To rebuild the Minneapolis Police Department, the City has made significant progress in recruiting and retaining officers and is on track to meet the City's charter staffing requirement of 731 officers. Leaders say the next chief will be expected to build on current momentum while continuing to make streets safer, strengthen public trust, and support the department's ongoing growth.
"The next Chief of Police will inherit a department that is making real progress to make Minneapolis safer, and our community expects continued results," said Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette. "We are searching for a leader who can inspire confidence both inside and outside the department—someone who will support our officers, partner with our communities, and continue building a public safety system that is effective, accountable, and worthy of the trust of every resident."
“The Chief of Police is one of the most important positions in the City of Minneapolis.” said Ward 4 Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw. “I look forward to finding a leader who understands our city firsthand, who is committed to tackling reform and strengthening our department head on, while also building on the progress we have made in reducing crime. Minneapolis deserves nothing less than a chief who leads with accountability, transparency, and a clear commitment to keeping our community safe.”
“This is one of the most important roles for the City and we need take the time to get it right,” said Ward 3 Council Member Michael Rainville. “The process Mayor Frey announced today will give the search committee that time to thoroughly review a wide range of candidates. We have made a lot of progress on police reform and reducing crime, but there is still a lot of work to do, and I look forward to working with the next Chief.”
“The City of Minneapolis deserves an extremely intentional Chief of Police search process, and we need to take what we’ve learned in the last couple of weeks and apply it delicately as we determine who to put forth as our next Chief of Police,” said Ward 5 Council Member Pearll Warren. “We have exceptional homegrown talent here in Minneapolis, and I look forward to being part of this process to ensure we’ve thoroughly vetted the best candidates to fill this gap.”
“Public safety is foundational to our civic responsibility, with the Police Chief at the helm,” said Ward 7 Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer. “A role this serious demands a serious search, and I will work with the mayor and my council colleagues to support a timely, sensible process to find the best candidate. We owe it to the people of Minneapolis to leave no stone unturned – including in our own backyard – so that we can advance the vital work of reducing crime, reforming the department, and building public trust.”
“It’s important we have broad agreement between Council and the Mayor as to the process for choosing a next Chief,” said Ward 13 Council Member Linea Palmisano. “We have strong leadership in place with Interim Chief Peterson, and this allows us the runway to do a full and thorough search. Let's take the time to do it right and make sure we identify the best candidate for Minneapolis at this moment – this might be different from what we were looking for last time.”
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