Following Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo’s retirement announcement, Amelia Huffman has been named the interim police chief by Mayor Jacob Frey.
Huffman has served as a police officer for the past 27 years and most recently served as the Deputy Chief of Professional Standards.
“I am humbled and honored,” Huffman said, saying she will work to continue what Chief Arradondo has done.
Huffman will step into a position that Arradondo has held since 2017 when former Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges appointed him.
Huffman will also step into a department that many in the community are calling to change. She acknowledged the department's need to hire officers in a time when it is difficult.
On the 2021 Minneapolis ballot, residents of the city were asked via question 2 whether or not they should remove the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with the department of public safety.
Arradondo was vocal in his opposition to replacing the department, urging residents not to pass the measure days before election day.
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After his reelection, Frey shared that he hoped Arradondo would stay on for another term, but now he will work alongside Huffman in the city. He said in his announcement that she holds herself accountable in her day-to-day work and will continue to do so.
Frey also noted that Huffman’s appointment comes with a “strong recommendation” from current Chief Arradono.
The Twin Cities will now see two new police chiefs as St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell also announced he would not return for another term when his current term ends next summer.
Arradondo shared in the summer after the murder of George Floyd that he hoped to leave a legacy of change in the city, and now Huffman will have to work to continue that legacy.
Huffman said that she will work to serve the residents of Minneapolis, including the city’s most disenfranchised citizens.
Arradono’s last day is effective Jan. 15, 2022, and Huffman will begin working while a national search will begin to fill the position.
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