Minneapolis City Council will vote to remove its Office of Community Safety after it allegedly failed to produce ‘meaningful outcomes’ in the beleaguered city.
Community Safety Commissioner Toddrick Barnette, who is the highest-paid employee in the city with a salary near to $350,000, is in charge of the department, which was created in 2022 in the wake of George Floyd‘s death.
The department was meant to provide a radical overhaul to public safety after Floyd was killed at the hands of police in the Minnesota city in 2020, which triggered the proliferation of the Black Lives Matter movement and protests across the country.
Since 2023, Barnette has overseen police officers, the fire department and 911 calls as the commissioner of community safety – but he has failed to make an impact, according to members of the council.
The council will host a public hearing on the proposal to eliminate the office on October 27 – which angered Mayor Jacob Frey, who created the woke initiative.
Mayor Jacob Frey said: ‘This office — one that these council members advocated for — manages services like mental health response, violence prevention and police reform.
‘If council members want these services in jeopardy, that’s on them. This wholesale elimination without a plan, combined with other proposed cuts to MPD, is not a serious proposal when it comes to public safety in our city.’
Earlier this year, Barnette was renominated by Frey to continue as Commissioner. But this was rejected by the Council. He said he plans to step down in December.
Community Safety Commissioner Toddrick Barnette, who is the highest-paid employee in the city with a salary near to $350,000, is in charge of the department, which was created in 2022 in the wake of George Floyd’s death
Since 2023, Toddrick Barnette has overseen police officers, the fire department and 911 calls as the commissioner of community safety, a role created after the death of George Floyd
During a news conference, Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai said at the time: ‘While Commissioner Barnette has served in this role, multiple of the departments that he has overseen have repeatedly overspent and exceeded their budget, some by tens of millions of dollars.’
In contrast, Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw praised Barnette’s work, pointing to community feedback she received.
‘The community that I represent is saying how connected they feel to you and to public safety because you’re in this position,’ Vetaw said.
Responding at his own press conference, Commissioner Barnette stated: ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen; I just really love the city of Minneapolis.’
Council President Elliott Payne said Barnette’s performance was subpar for being the highest-paid employee.
The council will host a public hearing on the proposal to eliminate the office on October 27 – which angered Mayor Jacob Frey, who created the woke initiative
‘To put it plainly, in his time in this role, I don’t believe Toddrick Barnette has met the mark,’ said Payne.
‘In my experience, Mr. Barnette has been far too absent and often disconnected from the role.’
Other Council Members have brought up his and his staff’s lack of presence at important meetings and lack of transparency and communication from his office,’ Payne said in a statement made in April of this year.
The Daily Mail reached out to Minneapolis Council Members for comment.
