3 finalists named for next Minneapolis Police Department chief
MINNEAPOLIS -- The three candidates still in the running to be the next chief of the Minneapolis Police Department have been announced, with all of them coming from outside of the community.
On Wednesday, Mayor Jacob Frey said the finalists are Elvin Barren, Dr. RaShall Brackney, and Brian O'Hara.
WCCO has 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.
Barren is currently chief of police in Southfield, Michigan. He previously served in the Detroit Police Department for 21 years. As chief of police in Southfield, he has instituted a variety of new initiatives and policy revision. Barren is also a veteran of the United States Navy.
Brackney currently is 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 from 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."
Sources within MPD say there are some officers who wanted to see an internal candidate move up to chief. But there are others outside of MPD who feel fresh blood is needed.
"I am very glad we are looking outside the department for a permanent police chief. The only way we will be able to reshape this department is with new ideas," said Michelle Gross with Communities United Against Police Brutality.
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.