Former social worker Amanda Harrington takes over as Minneapolis' next Director of Neighborhood Safety.
"Do you, Amanda Harrington, having been appointed director of neighborhood safety, solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution, and the laws of the state of Minnesota?"
That's the question she was asked, and with that Amanda Harrington is sworn in as the next Director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety in Minneapolis.
Harrington is a former social worker who was promoted from her role as the office's head of community safety design and implementation.
"You've put together a rock star team in neighborhood safety that I can't wait to join, and I will be there with you every step of the way," Harrington says. "I will fight for you and I will work with you when things get hard because we're gonna do an amazing job for people. So thank you."
Harrington's appointment comes as violence interrupter groups, which are managed by the Office of Neighborhood Safety, remain unpaid, amid ongoing city negotiations despite their continued work.
"I'm so glad that both of you talked about the team and neighborhood safety because, y'all are the reason that I chose to come to that department," Harrington says. "My work wasn't done, building the community safety ecosystem."
Harrington said in a statement last week that the process was taking longer than expected because vendors were unprepared.