Some City Council allies of Mayor Jacob Frey recently floated an idea to resolve a standoff over who should serve as Minneapolis’ top public safety official: Hire no one for the role, at least for now.
Why it matters: It’s a sign of how deeply frustrated some city leaders have grown with the Office of Community Safety (OCS) — the agency meant to unify the city after a divisive 2021 police ballot measure.
The big picture: The city created OCS in 2022 to lead MPD reforms and elevate alternatives to traditional policing.
- But OCS has since drawn criticism from across the council’s ideological spectrum — and could soon be looking for its third leader in four years.
State of play: Since April, Frey has been using veto powers to keep current community safety commissioner Todd Barnette’s reconfirmation hopes alive.
- But Barnette — who oversees the police, fire, 911, emergency management and neighborhood safety departments — needs council support to keep his current title past Aug. 2. Last Thursday, council members voted again, 7-6, to oust him.
Driving the news: After the vote, Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw proposed ending the doom loop by pausing the search for a new commissioner to conduct an evaluation of OCS.
- Council Member Elizabeth Schaffer agreed, as did Michael Rainville, who wondered aloud “if there should be a commissioner.”
Flashback: These Frey allies were mirroring the recent remarks of a Frey critic.
- In April, Council Member Robin Wonsley called OCS a failed experiment, suggesting the city could reinvest its $2 million budget directly into public safety services.
The intrigue: Last week, Wonsley suggested opening a national search for a new commissioner and moving on from Barnette.
- But after Vetaw’s comments, Wonsley told Axios that “if there is shared understanding amongst council in no longer investing in what has shown to be a failed initiative, it opens the door of other pathways.”
Friction points:Critics say OCS has failed to keep MPD’s budget in check, overseen several high-profile police controversies and mismanaged “violence interrupter” contracts…