The Minneapolis City Council has approved the city’s first community safety commissioner.
On Thursday morning, eight council members voted in favor of Cedric Alexander, putting him in charge of the city’s fire, police and 911, as well as the offices of emergency management and violence prevention.
Breaking News: Minneapolis City Council Votes to Approve Dr. Cedric Alexander as the city’s new community safety commissioner. The final vote was 8 in favor, 3 against and 2 abstentions. He needed 7 votes for the job.
— Eric Chaloux (@EricChalouxKSTP) August 4, 2022
Before the vote, councilor Jason Chavez proposed delaying the action, but that motion failed.
The motion does not delay Alexander’s vote. 3-10
— Eric Chaloux (@EricChalouxKSTP) August 4, 2022
Alexander becomes the highest paid employee in the city, earning $300,000.
Alexander told KSTP reporter Eric Chaloux that while he doesn’t officially start work until Monday, he plans to contact the five department heads he will oversee Thursday afternoon.
“We need to bring these five public safety departments together, so they can work together, be creative and idealistic together. We need to move policing forward and rebuild community relationships,” Alexander said in a statement after his approval. “I’m here to help, but it’s going to take all of us in this great city to make Minneapolis a safer place for everyone. We can’t forget the past, but we really need to look to the future. We need to redesign our approach to public safety for everyone to work together.”
As previously reported, Alexander was nominated for the job by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey earlier this summer.
Dr. Cedric Alexander (KSTP)
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Community members and city leaders were able to question Alexander this week, and after an hours-long hearing Tuesday, the council moved forward with his nomination.
Alexander previously worked in law enforcement and also served on the 21st Century Policing Task Force under former President Barack Obama. CLICK HERE for more information about the workgroup.
“Today marks a pivotal moment in our work to reshape and redefine community safety in Minneapolis,” Frey said in a statement after Alexander was approved. “Our communities have asked for safety, they have asked for change, and Dr. Alexander has answered the call. I am grateful to the Council for confirming his nomination today. Now the real work begins.”
“I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Cedric Alexander to #TeamMinneapolis. His experience, leadership qualities and national networks will help us chart a new path toward greater police accountability to improve public safety in the city of Minneapolis” , said City Council President Andrea Jenkins. “We must work together to heal our city and address the systemic issues that lead to the unacceptable levels of violence in our communities. We all have a role to play in overcoming these challenges.”
This is a developing story. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS will continue to update you with more information.
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