There have been 59 police chiefs of the Minneapolis Police Department in the history of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The first was appointed in 1867, when the population of Minneapolis was about 5,000.[1] [2]
| Term | Approx. Years | Chief of Police | Departure | Notable/Related Events | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1867 | 1 | H. H. Brackett | |||
| 1868 | 1 | Dan A. Day | |||
| 1869 | 1 | H. H. Brackett and Stuart Seeley | |||
| 1870 | 1 | Dan A. Day | |||
| 1871 | 1 | C. L. Peck | Shot by an opium user[4] | ||
| 1872 | 1 | George C. Kent | |||
| 1873 | 1 | R. W. Hanson and Michael Hoy | |||
| 1874–1875 | 2 | John H. Noble | |||
| 1876–1883 | 8 | A. S. Munger | |||
| 1883 | 1 | A. C. Berry | |||
| 1884–1885 | 2 | John West | |||
| 1886 | 1 | Colonel Charles R. Hill | |||
| 1887–1890 | 3 | Board of Police Commissioners | Abolished | ||
| 1890 | 1 | Major R. R. Henderson | |||
| 1894–1898 | 5 | Vernon M. Smith | Reference: Minutes of the City Council, 1894–1924; Minneapolis City Directories | ||
| 1899–1900 | 1 | James G. Doyle | Reference: Minutes of the City Council, 1894–1924 | ||
| 1901–1902 | 1 | Fred W. Ames | Reference: Minutes of the City Council, 1894–1924 | ||
| 1902 | 1 | E. F. Waite, to fill vacancy per Ames' resignation | Reference: Minutes of the City Council, 1894–1924 | ||
| 1903–1904 | 1 | Ed. J. Conroy | Reference: Minutes of the City Council, 1894–1924 | ||
| 1905–1906 | 1 | James G. Doyle | Reference: Minutes of the City Council, 1894–1924 | ||
| 1907–1910 | 1 | Colonel Frank T. Corriston[5] | Resigned, "laxity" | ||
| 1911–1912 | 2 | Michael Mealey | Reference: Minutes of the City Council, 1894–1924 | ||
| 1913–1916 | 4 | Oscar Martinson | Reference: Minutes of the City Council, 1894–1924 | ||
| 1917–1918 | 2 | Lewis Harthill | Reference: Minutes of the City Council, 1894–1924 | ||
| 1919–1921 | 3 | J.F. Walker | Reference: Minutes of the City Council, 1894–1924 | ||
| 1921–1923 | 2 | A.C. Jensen | Reference: Minutes of the City Council, 1894–1924 | ||
| 1925–1927 | 3 | Frank W. Brunskill[6] | Tong wars | ||
| 1928–1930 | 2 | Harry C. Lindholm | |||
| 1931–33 | 3 | William Meehan | Racial integration[7] | ||
| 1934–35 | 2 | Mike Johannes | Minneapolis Teamsters Strike of 1934[8] | ||
| 1936–40 | 5 | Frank Forestal[9] | |||
| 1941 | 1 | Edward B. Hansen (resigned)[10] | Resigned, mobs | ||
| 1942 | 1 | Joe M. Jonas | |||
| 1943–44 | 2 | Elmer F. Hillner | |||
| 1945 | 1 | Ed Ryan | |||
| 1946–48 | 3 | G.W. MacLean | |||
| 1949–55 | 7 | Thomas R. Jones | |||
| 1956 | 1 | E.I. Walling | |||
| 1957–59 | 3 | Milton E. Winslow | |||
| 1960 | 1 | Kenneth Moore | |||
| 1961–63 | 3 | E.I. Walling | |||
| 1964–68 | 4 | Calvin F. Hawkinson | Resigned to Plymouth P.D. (1968-1978)[11] | Established Community Relations Unit | |
| 1968 | 1 | Donald Dwyer | American Indian Movement[12] | ||
| 1969–70 | 2 | B.J. Lutz | |||
| 1971–73 | 3 | Gordon Johnson | Overweight police[13] | ||
| 1974 | 1 | Jack McCarthy | |||
| 1974–75 | 2 | John R. Jensen | |||
| 1976–77 | 2 | Carl E. Johnson | |||
| 1978–79 | 2 | Elmer C. Nordlund | Resigned, scandal[14] | Teenage prostitution[15] | |
| 1979 | 1 | Donald Dwyer | Temporary | ||
| 1980–1988 | 8 | Anthony V. Bouza[16] | Retired | ||
| 1989–1994 | 5 | John Laux[17] | Resigned to Bloomington Police Department | Murder of Jerry Haaf,[18] KARE 11 media complaint[19] | |
| 1994–2002 | 9 | Robert Olson[20] | Dismissed, contract not renewed | Federal mediation[21] | |
| 2002–2006 | 5 | Resigned to San Antonio Police Department[22] | |||
| 2006–2007 (sworn)- 2012 | 7 | Tim Dolan[23] | I-35W Mississippi River Bridge | ||
| 2012–2017 | 5 | First female, openly gay, and Native American chief in city history[24] | |||
| 2017–2022 | 5 | Medaria Arradondo[25] | Announced retirement in December 2021, effective January 15, 2022.[26] | First black police chief.[27] Officer body camera usage made mandatory.[28] Murder of George Floyd and subsequent protest movement. | |
| 2022 | <1 | Amelia Huffman (interim)[29] | Interim Chief of Police | ||
| 2022–present | Incumbent | Brian O'Hara[30] |
There were constables appointed as city marshals of St. Anthony before it was joined to Minneapolis.
| Term | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| 1855 | Benjamin Brown and L. Turner | |
| 1856–57 | J. Chapman | |
| 1857-1859-1860 | John A. Armstrong | |
| 1861 | J. H. Noble | |
| 1862 | William Lashells | |
| 1863 | M. B. Rollins | |
| 1864 | E. Lippencott and J. M. Shepard | |
| 1865–1866 | M. W. Getchell | |
| 1867–1869 | Michael Hoy | |
| 1870–1871 | L. C. Smith |