Council Questions Minneapolis Police Chief Nominee

Minneapolis City Council members began grilling Mayor Jacob Frey's pick to lead the police department, Bill Peterson, over his decades-long career inside it.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Law Enforcement

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a stately municipal building facade with a tall narrow window bay and a limp, unmarked flag, in navy and cream. — Minneapolis City Council members began questioning Mayor Jacob Frey's police chief nominee, Bill Peterson, over his more than three decades inside the department. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Minneapolis City Council began questioning Mayor Jacob Frey's nominee for police chief, Bill Peterson, after a public hearing where about 50 people testified, mostly in support. Peterson needs at least 7 of the council's 13 votes to be confirmed.

Why it matters

The vote shapes leadership of a department operating under a court-ordered settlement agreement with the state to implement reforms. Debate centers on whether Peterson's long internal tenure is an asset or a liability given the department's history of discriminatory policing.

Peterson's confirmation is pending, with the committee set to resume questioning him at the Nov. 12 council meeting. The council has not yet taken a confirmation vote, and it is unclear how the 13 members will break.

The players

Bill Peterson

Peterson is Mayor Jacob Frey's nominee for Minneapolis police chief and has worked for the Minneapolis Police Department since age 21, spending more than 30 years in the agency.

Jacob Frey

Frey is the mayor of Minneapolis, who nominated Peterson and has defended his choice against calls from progressive council members to select an outsider.

Robin Wonsley

Wonsley is a Minneapolis City Council member who pressed Peterson on whether he had witnessed racist or transphobic language within the department.

Brian O'Hara

O'Hara was Minneapolis's former police chief and the first outsider hired for the role since 2006, before resigning in May amid findings he interfered in a sexual misconduct investigation.

The details

Peterson appeared before a council committee after a public hearing on his nomination, where committee members questioned him and Frey about his more than 30 years in the department. Council Member Robin Wonsley asked whether he had ever witnessed racist or transphobic language; Peterson said he did not recall doing so.

Late September: Five progressive council members urged Frey to choose an outsider for the post.
May: Former Chief Brian O'Hara resigned amid findings that he interfered in an ongoing sexual misconduct investigation.
Wednesday: Peterson appeared before the council committee following a public hearing on his nomination.
Nov. 12: The committee resumes questioning Peterson at a council meeting.

Legal Context

The nomination comes under the state-supervised reform framework Minneapolis adopted after its 2020 settlement with the state over discriminatory policing. Leadership choices now fall within that oversight, making Peterson's record directly relevant to compliance with those reforms.

Residents will see who leads the Minneapolis Police Department and how officers are overseen under the state reform agreement. The council's decision will affect policing priorities in neighborhoods across the city.

The takeaway

Leadership selection is one of the clearest levers residents can watch when assessing whether a police department's reform commitments are being carried out. Following council votes and committee hearings offers direct insight into those decisions.

What happens next

The Minneapolis City Council committee will resume questioning Bill Peterson at its Nov. 12 council meeting, ahead of a confirmation vote that requires at least 7 of 13 members.