Todd Barnette sworn in as Minneapolis' community safety commissioner
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis' new commissioner of community safety was sworn in Monday morning.
The ceremony came just days after the city council voted 12-1 to approve former Hennepin County Chief Judge Todd Barnette for the role.
Barnette is inheriting an ongoing investigation into accused discrimination and overuse of force within the Minneapolis Police Department and a renewed push for accountability for police.
He will also oversee the fire department, 911, emergency management and neighborhood safety. He takes over the role after his predecessor Dr. Cedric Alexander retired last month after just a year on the job. He said he's ready for the challenge.
Barnette is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and has more than 30 years of public safety and legal experience as prosecutor and public defender. He served as a judge for the last 17 years. He was the first person of color to be named chief judge in Hennepin County.
Barnette said he knows the country is watching what Minneapolis does with public safety and he is ready to be the leader in change.
"What I think I bring is a real desire to collaborate and to have partnership, because that's important to get work done," he said.
Among his top priorities is rebuilding the trust within the community. which was largely severed after the murder of George Floyd. It's something that takes time and something he said he's willing to invest hard work to achieve.
Barnette will take over as the Minneapolis Police Department continues its major overhaul. Over the summer, the city began the long process of hashing out the terms of a consent decree handed down by the Department of Justice after it issued a harsh 89-page report that showed a yearslong pattern of racial discrimination.
This is on top of the court-enforceable agreement, which is like the state's version of the consent decree, handed down by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights after a similar report was issued.
Barnette said here must be transparency to rebuild trust.
"We will have transparency. If there's moments in which there's legal reasons where I can't, I'll say that I can't. I can't tell you. But we will have transparency and accountability," he said.
Barnette added his predecessor Alexander laid a good foundation to build on during his one year in the position.
The job is for four years and is among the highest paying jobs in the city, with a base salary of $300,000.