Politics and Police Leadership - The View From the City Hall (From Police Leadership in America, P 41-47, 1985, William A Geller, ed. - See NCJ-98325)

• NCJ Number: 99241
• Author(s): D M Fraser
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: Praeger Publishers
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The current mayor of Minneapolis, Donald Fraser, traces the history of the police chief-mayor relationship in that city over the last decade; he also offers his views on the police chief's role vis-a-vis the mayor, the city council, and the citizenry.

Abstract

The Minneapolis Police Department was politicized in 1969 when the head of the police union was elected mayor on a strong law-and-order platform. He was in and out of office during the decade; throughout this period, the police department was in turmoil because of the former union head's insistence upon personal involvement in running the department. Fraser's election in 1979 was accompanied by voter approval of a charter amendment that sets a 3-year term for the police chief, ensuring the chief's term will usually not expire in the same year as the mayor's. At the end of the chief's term, the city council votes on whether the chief shall continue for another term. The mayor may still remove the chief at any time, but only for reasonable cause. Fraser had the advantage of selecting a chief with whom he shared common policy goals, so the chief has operated the department with minimal interference from the mayor. Fraser advocates the chief having full authority to administer the police department, but within the policy parameters set by the executive branch.