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MPR News Staff

Minneapolis City Council confirms O'Hara as city's next police chief

Man puts hand on shoulder of another man to congratulate him
Mayor Jacob Frey congratulates Brian O’Hara after the Minneapolis City Council confirms O'Hara as the next Minneapolis Police Department chief of police on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

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Updated: 12:07 p.m.

The Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously Thursday to confirm Brian O’Hara as the city's next police chief.

The city says O’Hara — most recently deputy mayor in Newark, N.J. — will begin serving his four-year term as police chief on Monday.

Addressing the City Council after Thursday's 13-0 vote, O’Hara said he was thankful for council members’ support.

Brian O’Hara reacts as the Minneapolis City Council delivers remarks
Brian O’Hara reacts as the Minneapolis City Council delivers remarks before his confirmation vote to be the next chief of police on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.
Ben Hovland

“I will do everything I can — as some of the members mentioned — to ensure that we are present, that I am present personally in community and we engage with everyone, especially those who disagree with us. And so I'm incredibly thankful and I look forward to getting to work,” O’Hara said.

Man in city council room
Brian O'Hara is confirmed as the new chief of police with the Minneapolis Police Department on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

He garnered praise at the meeting from many council members. City council member Lisa Goodman said she has never voted for a chief from outside the department before.

"And I do think that you are the right person, at this moment for this position. This community holds incredible hope for you. And this department, the moment is heavy, not celebratory, because we know there's so much more work to be done,” Goodman said.

In a statement, council president Andrea Jenkins said that O’Hara’s background made him a good fit to work with Community Safety Commissioner Cedric Alexander, his new boss.

“Building trust with community members and thinking strategically around public safety response and reforms in policy, program and training are an important part of the job of police chief, and I believe Mr. O’Hara will do just that,” Jenkins said.

Among O’Hara’s potential duties is to guide the department through a federal consent decree.

The U.S. Department of Justice has been investigating the Minneapolis Police Department since former police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020. O’Hara worked with the Justice department before on a 2016 consent decree in Newark.

Mayor Jacob Frey nominated O’Hara in September to be the next permanent chief of the department. The city council had to sign off on the nomination.

Check back for updates.