MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The person nominated to grow to be the subsequent Minneapolis police chief, Brian O’Hara, confronted the general public Wednesday as his nomination enters the ultimate levels earlier than approval.

O’Hara most just lately was deputy mayor in Newark, New Jersey. Earlier than that, he was the general public security director in Newark and has a decades-long profession as a police officer.

He says he doesn’t have a airplane ticket again to Newark, he’s at the moment dwelling within the North Loop space. So it appears he’s undoubtedly planning to be chief. And he appears prepared for the position.

“I imagine issues occur for a cause,” he mentioned. “I don’t imagine it’s by likelihood that I’m right here on objective.”

He is aware of he’s acquired some challenges forward, understanding that some residents won’t ever just like the police.

“I don’t need that to be an excuse for police to not interact to not attempt to deal with their considerations,” O’Hara defined. “To not attempt to be in the identical house as these people who’ve frustrations about police right here and policing typically.”

O’Hara says his first priorities might be to satisfy with residents, neighborhood leaders, meet police rank and file, and pay attention. Outdoors of that, he says gun violence tops the listing. He likes what he sees with Operation Endeavor and says the residents he’s spoken with do too.

“What I’ve heard notably from residents is especially downtown right here is that individuals like it,” O’Hara defined. “Folks love seeing the seen enhanced presence of police, not simply right here however on the north facet as properly and different components of the town.”

In Newark, O’Hara led the consent decree course of and helped to implement police reforms, and he additionally labored laborious to earn the neighborhood’s belief. However he says incomes the belief of the “officers” is simply as essential.

O’Hara needs to enhance the tradition inside MPD and be totally supportive, believing that assistance will result in improved staffing, as MPD is down about 300 officers.

“The officers right here will see me on the road I intend to be a police officer similar to the remainder of them so if I’m driving by and somebody is asking for assist I might be there to again them up,” mentioned O’Hara.

At Wednesday’s listening to, metropolis council members questioned his ideas on reform, what to do with the Third Precinct, and “teaching” as self-discipline for officer complaints. However what stood out probably the most was a letter that was learn from Newark Residents displaying robust assist for O’Hara — a second that moved O’Hara to tears.

“We needed to get via this course of and be certain that the neighborhood had a say in the place we have been going ahead. And that we have been going attempt to go ahead collectively. It’s very transferring to me to have been via that and it’s simply what makes this work significant.”