McManus leaving

As you have no doubt heard, Chief of Police William McManus has accepted a new job in San Antonio.

With the departure of Chief McManus we will now have to go through another search. I hope we can use this as an opportunity to find the best person for the job, and that we do not limit our search to people already within the Minneapolis Police Department.

Among other things, I will be strongly advocating that any new chief must publicly commit to work with the Civilian Review Authority (CRA) and Police Community Relations Council (PCRC) to increase police accountability and responsiveness in Minneapolis. We deserve a new chief who more fully accepts and utilizes the CRA process, and works well with the PCRC. I will be asking every prospective chief whether she/he will comply with all aspects of the CRA ordinance, and I will only vote for a candidate who convinces me that she/he will. In order for civilian oversight of the MPD to work, we need a chief who understands its necessity and fully embraces its implementation.

Additionally, I want to see McManus’ Community Policing Initiative move forward. We must rebuild and improve community-centered policing in Minneapolis. Although just in its beginning stages, I think this initiative offes great potential for improving policing. I encourage all interested residents to read the report summary when it’s posted on the City website March 30th, attend the event that evening (4-6pm at the Zurah Shrine Center), and/or send comments to police@ci.minneapolis.mn.us.