MINNEAPOLIS — Less than two months after Dr. Cedric Alexander announced he's stepping down as the city of Minneapolis' Community Safety Commissioner after just one year, Mayor Jacob Frey is revealing his pick to take the job.
At a press conference Monday, Frey tapped Hennepin County Chief Judge Toddrick Barnette for the role, which was created last year to transform policing and public safety in the wake of George Floyd's murder in May 2020.
Dr. Alexander, who was nominated for the post by Mayor Frey in July 2022 for a four-year term, announced his retirement this past July.
In August, Frey said longtime political advisor Lee Sheey would serve as the city's interim community safety commissioner starting Sept. 2.
The Community Safety Commissioner oversees the city's Office of Community Safety and is tasked with managing and coordinating five departments: 911, fire, emergency management, police and neighborhood safety – and breaking down barriers between them.
According to his bio on the Minnesota Judicial Branch's website, Judge Barnette received his BA from George Washington University in 1988 before receiving his JD at the University of Minnesota in 1992. He was appointed Chief Justice in Feb. 2006 and then elected in 2008, 2014 and 2020. His current term expires in Jan. 2027.
“Over the last three decades, Chief Judge Barnette has established himself as a leading voice in Minnesota’s public safety and criminal justice communities,” Frey said Monday. “With his broad set of lived and professional experiences, he is uniquely situated to forge the partnerships necessary to continue building out a strong, comprehensive safety system and lead a team to keep Minneapolis safe. Judge Barnette is a rare talent, one that has deep connections in Minnesota, and I’m grateful he has agreed to serve as the next member of our administration’s cabinet.”
Prior to his time on the bench, Barnette served as a senior attorney in the Hennepin County Attorney's Office from March 2004 to Feb. 2006. He also worked in the Hennepin County Public Defender's Office from May 1993 until Feb. 2004.
"Judge Barnette has deep knowledge of the legal system, has demonstrated a clear commitment to community engagement, and will be a strong leader for the City of Minneapolis," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement Monday. "I have known him a long time and look forward to continuing to partner with him in this new role. Along with Chief O’Hara and others, there is much work to do to build on recent progress on violence prevention and making our communities safer."
Following Alexander's retirement announcement, the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis accused city leadership of having "run off someone that could have greatly contributed to the restoration of public safety."
"Dr. Alexander came to the City of Minneapolis to build the Office of Community Safety and rebuild community trust. Shortly after being hired, he spent time meeting with stakeholders, and he met with the POFM Board," the Federation said in a statement. "During that meeting, Dr. Alexander stated, 'If one day you wake up and see I quit, it's because they won't let me do my job.' It appears that time has come for him. The backward ways in the City of Minneapolis have yet again run off someone that could have greatly contributed to the restoration of public safety in the City of Minneapolis."
Though two spokespeople for Alexander's office confirmed that he did make those comments to the union last year, it's still not clear exactly what he meant by who "they" might be in the context of interfering with his operations. Alexander's office said the commissioner's phrase about "they won't let me do my job" was not directed at anyone in particular.
In an interview with KARE 11 earlier this summer, Alexander credited his office's establishment of "Operation Endeavor" for contributing to a drop in violent crime in 2023.
"I feel good about what has happened here," Alexander said. "We've allowed ourselves now to build a foundation."
This is a developing story. KARE 11 will provide more details as new information becomes available.
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