MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has released his timeline for selecting the city’s next police chief following the sudden resignation of former chief Brian O’Hara last month.

Timeline announced

What we know:

Mayor Frey announced a 16-week timeline on Tuesday for a national search for the next chief that will take place in six phases.

The mayor says the search will begin immediately and will start by gathering feedback from community stakeholders.

Phase 1

• Gather feedback from police department employees and hold council focus group.
• Develop police chief position profile and recruit materials.
• Community engagement
• Finalize recruitment strategy

Phase 2

• Launch recruitment campaign
• Post listings
• Accept and review applications

Phase 3: Screening interviews

• Conduct candidate evaluations
• Complete initial screening interviews
• Prepare search report and presentation of candidates

Phase 4: First-round interviews

• First-round interviews held
• The interview panel may include: Officer of Community Safety leaders, Minneapolis Police Department leadership, and police labor leadership.

Phase 5: Second-round interviews

• Second-round interviews held
• The interview panel may include: Officer of Community Safety leadership and city council members.

Phase 6: Final interviews and selection

• Final interviews with Mayor Frey, Office of Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette, and other city leaders held.
• Finalist selected

Nomination process

What’s next:

The mayor anticipates submitting his nominee to the council sometime in October or November. From there, the council will review the nominee and vote on the selection.

What they’re saying:

“Selecting a police chief is one of the most important decisions a mayor can make,” said Frey. “We’ve made significant progress to make Minneapolis safer over the last several years, but we still have work to do. This position demands someone who can lead a complex department, support officers, build trust with residents, and continue delivering results – both fighting crime and making reforms. Filling this role is a priority, so we’re going to conduct a thorough search and get this right.” 

The backstory:

Former Chief O’Hara resigned last month after an investigation into allegations of him carrying on relationships with department employees. While the investigation never substantiated any of the allegations against O’Hara, investigations found O’Hara deleted a contact of one of the employees from his work phone. Investigators also say O’Hara violated requested confidentiality during the investigation process.

Bill Peterson was named interim police chief earlier this month. Peterson told media members that he isn’t interested in seeking the full-time gig.