Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren named finalist for next Minneapolis PD top cop
MINNEAPOLIS -- Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren has been named as one of three finalists for the next chief of the Minneapolis Police Department.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced the finalists on Wednesday, which also included Dr. RaShall Brackney and Brian O'Hara.
CBS Minnesota learned Frey will make his decision within weeks and present it to members of the Minneapolis City Council for approval. Frey thanked interim chief Amelia Huffman for her excellent leadership saying she accelerated the pace of change during this critical time.
According to the City of Southfield's website, Barren was appointed as chief in 2019. He previously served in the Detroit Police Department for 21 years and is also a veteran of the United States Navy.
Officials say as police chief, Barren "instituted a variety of new initiatives and policy revisions."
Brackney is currently a distinguished visiting professor of practice at George Mason University. She served as Chief of Police for Charlottesville, Virginia and George Washington University. Brackney retired as commander of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police after serving more than 30 years.
O'Hara currently serves as deputy mayor of Newark, New Jersey. In 2001, O'Hara joined the Newark Police Department as a police officer, rising through the ranks to become a captain in 2016. In 2021, he was appointed as the public safety director for Newark, overseeing sworn police officers, firefighters and civilian employees.
"We are thrilled to have recruited three national caliber candidates, and I look forward to meeting with each one to ultimately choose our next Police Chief," Frey said. "Our residents deserve a candidate who will both lead MPD with the courage of their convictions and build trust in our city. I'm grateful to the search committee for their time and dedication in reviewing and recommending these finalists and to Interim Chief Huffman for her excellent leadership over the past 10 months."
The national search for the next MPD chief stretches back to March. A consulting firm worked with the search committee to come up with the finalists.
The previous chief, Medaria Arradondo, left in January after 32 years with the department.