In a surprising turn on Thursday, a majority of the 13 members of the Minneapolis City Council voted against Mayor Jacob Frey’s nomination of interim police chief Bill Peterson to become the permanent chief.
The city has been without a permanent chief since this spring when former police chief Brian O’Hara resigned amid accusations of misconduct.
At least two members of the council who tend to align with the mayor on many issues sided with the six far-left and DSA-aligned wing of the body in rejecting the nomination.
In the 8-5 downvote, council members Pearll Warren and Latrisha Vetaw, who each represent separate wards of north Minneapolis, and both of whom are generally supportive of police, left the mayor surprised when they voted no, he indicated in a press briefing following the vote.
Frey implied that he didn’t have any indication that Warren and Vetaw were negative on Peterson, who went through about five hours of questioning from the Minneapolis City Council over two sessions in the last week, as well as a public comment period.
Frey described Peterson as a “Boy Scout” when referencing Peterson’s record with the department and not having any “black marks” in his 30-year career with MPD.
One of the public speakers during the public comment portion of the council’s public safety committee meeting last week was anti-police activist Michelle Gross, who accused Peterson of having a tarnished record. Gross even accused Peterson of having been part of the former Metro Gang Strike Force, which was dissolved in 2009 over accusations and findings of corruption.
Frey addressed that and other accusations, indicating that they were proven to be false or inaccurate over the course of Peterson’s questioning by the council.
The other council members who voted no on the nomination were council president Elliott Payne, Aisha Chughtai, Jason Chavez, Aurin Chowdhury, Soren Stevenson, and Robin Wonsley.
Council vice president Jamal Osman joined Mike Rainville, Jamison Whiting, Elizabeth Shaffer, and Linea Palmisano in voting in the affirmative for the nomination.
Frey expressed frustration that Payne hadn’t given a reason for the rejection, nor had other council members.
However, the members of the City Council who rejected the nomination held a separate press briefing following the mayor’s. Both Payne and Warren described that they didn’t think Peterson was contrite enough regarding what they feel is still a flawed department and for past actions deemed to be racist in the department.
Stevenson said he was one of several council members who wanted an external candidate due to MPD’s “history … as well as its present … pattern and practice of racial discrimination and violence against black and native residents, as well as against people expressing their First Amendment rights.”
Frey, in his briefing, indicated that most of the external candidates who had applied had not panned out as qualified during the selection process, and indicated that the council’s decision to reject Peterson, given his qualifications, would make it even more difficult to entice qualified candidates to newly apply.
Frey said Peterson will remain in the interim position for the time being but indicated that Peterson could choose to return to his former position as commander of the First Precinct.
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Minneapolis/Twin Cities Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
