Council to Vote Thursday on Police Chief Bill Peterson
Interim chief Bill Peterson faces a final Minneapolis City Council confirmation vote after questioning at a hearing last week.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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The Minneapolis City Council is scheduled to hold a final confirmation vote Thursday on Bill Peterson as police chief. Five of the council's 13 members had urged Mayor Jacob Frey to nominate an outsider instead.
Why it matters
The vote determines who leads the Minneapolis Police Department during an ongoing court-ordered reform process. Critics, including Communities United Against Police Brutality, have called for Peterson's rejection, while supporters point to his three decades inside the department.
Peterson is currently interim chief and has not yet been confirmed; the council holds its final vote Thursday. Whether the council confirms him remains unresolved until that vote takes place.
The players
Bill Peterson
Interim Minneapolis police chief and a 31-year veteran of the department who previously led its downtown precinct.
Jacob Frey
Mayor of Minneapolis, who makes the nomination for police chief that the council must confirm.
Communities United Against Police Brutality
Minneapolis advocacy organization that has called for the council to reject Peterson's nomination.
The details
Peterson, a 31-year department veteran who most recently led the downtown precinct, was initially not interested in the top job and applied after soul-searching. Five council members cited the department's resistance to reform in urging an outsider be chosen, and he faced council questions at a hearing last week.
Timeline
Last week: Peterson faced council questions at a confirmation hearing.
Thursday: The council holds its final confirmation vote on Peterson.
Legal Context
Peterson would lead the department through a court-ordered reform process that is likely to shadow the department for years. The confirmation fight reflects the council's broader debate over whether the department's resistance to that reform can be addressed from within.
The confirmation decides who directs day-to-day policing and reform efforts across Minneapolis neighborhoods. Residents may see changes in how the department responds to public complaints depending on the leadership chosen.
The takeaway
Leadership confirmations like this one shape how a court-ordered reform process is carried out day to day. Following the council's Thursday vote will show whether the city's direction on policing changes.
What happens next
The Minneapolis City Council holds its final confirmation vote on Bill Peterson as police chief on Thursday.
Further reading
For more on how local policing decisions are made, see Law Enforcement coverage.
Live Poll
Should Minneapolis choose an outsider over an insider as its next police chief?
