Amelia Huffman To Be Interim Chief Of Minneapolis Police

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced Tuesday that Deputy Chief Amelia Huffman will be the interim chief of the city’s police department beginning early next year.

During a press conference, Huffman said she is “humbled and honored” to be selected for the role.

“I look forward to continuing the work to lead the Minneapolis Police Department toward building a better future in collaboration with our communities,” Huffman said.

(credit: CBS)

Huffman also thanked current police chief for his “32 years of tireless work” for Minneapolis police.

The announcement comes a day after the police chief, 54-year-old Medaria Arradondo, said he will be retiring following the conclusion of his second term in mid-January.

Arradondo says he’s not seeking another police chief position at another department, nor other public office positions.

In 2017, Arradondo became the department’s first Black chief after the resignation of former chief Janeé Harteau in the wake of the Justine Ruszczyk-Damond shooting.

During Arradondo’s second term in office, the Minneapolis Police Department became a national focal point following the murder of George Floyd by former officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin has since been convicted and sentenced to over 20 years in prison.

The unrest following Floyd’s murder led to calls for significant police reform, including defunding police. A ballot initiative in Minneapolis that would have removed the police department from the city charter and replaced it with a reimagined public safety department failed in the November election.

During the news conference, Arradondo said that the impacts of Floyd’s murder will stay with him forever. However, he said that they did not ultimately enter into his decision to retire.

“I believe that now is the right time to allow for new leadership, new perspective, new focus and new hope to lead the department forward in collaboration with our communities,” Arradondo said, adding: “This, at the end of the day, is what I feel is best for the department as well as my personal well-being.”

Over the last year, several hundred officers have left the police department as the city has experienced a surge in violent crime. Arradondo in October requested an additional $27 million in funding for 2022 in an effort to rebuild core services.

In November, Minneapolis police announced its intentions to hire 40 full-time police recruits and another 50 experienced officers.

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