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Two internal candidates are finalists for new Minneapolis police chief
by Art Hughes, Minnesota Public Radio
December 10, 2003

Retiring Minneapolis Police Chief Robert Olson could be replaced by one of his two top deputies: Deputy Chief Sharon Lubinski, center, and Deputy Chief Lucy Gerold, right, were both named finalists for the job. (MPR Photo/Art Hughes)

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has released a list of six candidates to replace outgoing Police Chief Robert Olson. Rybak, a panel of community members and a Seattle-area search firm have narrowed the list from more than two dozen applicants nationwide. The list includes two internal candidates, both women, who remain favorites among many city council members.

Minneapolis, Minn. — Rybak says he intends to pick a police chief from the six candidates by the end of this month. He says, in addition to keeping the streets safe, he's looking for a new chief who can bring diversity, and has the ability to converse with the city's various groups of residents.

"All of them, in different ways, have been seen as people who've been agressive and reform-minded," says Rybak. "I think we should be pleased with anyone on this list."

The finalists include two women, both of whom are Minneapolis deputy chiefs, and four men, three of whom are African-American.

	Charles Moose

While the mayor nominates his pick for the job, the City Council must approve it. One source says Deputy Chief Sharon Lubinski has strong support on the council. The other internal candidate, Deputy Chief Lucy Gerold, is also favored. Rybak says both are excellent candidates, but he also wants to see how they stack up against the names that emerged from the national search.

"I -- as the one elected official who has to represent all interests equally around the city -- and the police chief -- the one person who's in charge of having safety be consistent throughout the city -- have to have a very tight bond," says Rybak. "And unless I'm at a point where I'm comfortable with that chief, I don't think it's smart bringing that person forward."

The search firm Oldani Group helped compile the list. Among the finalists is Charles Moose, the Montgomery County, Maryland, police chief who rose to national prominence during the Washington D.C.-area sniper investigation. He left the department after signing a deal to write a book about the experience. Before serving in Maryland, Moose was police chief in Portland, Oregon.

The other finalists are:

•Joseph Samuels, who served as police chief in Oakland and Richmond, California, is also on the short list. He was the first black chief in Oakland, a city of almost 400,000 people. While there, he claims citizen complaints against the department decreased 44 percent.

All of them, in different ways, have been seen as people who've been agressive and reform-minded. I think we should be pleased with anyone on this list. - Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak

•Herman Curry, a retired deputy chief from Detroit. He's now security manager for a soda bottling company.

•William McManus, police chief in Dayton, Ohio.

Whichever person the mayor picks will first go to the city's executive committee. Council member Robert Lilligren is on that committee. He says race or gender are not determining factors, but how the candidate is able to communicate with various populations.

"He or she will be key in creating a culture that we want to see in the Minneapolis Police Department. One thing that is almost universal with this council is we want to see improved relations between the department and the communities they serve," says Lilligren.

Council member Paul Zerby is also on the committee. He says how the candidate views the recent mediation agreement between the police department and the African-American community is one factor to consider.

"The new chief will have the benefit of the existing people in the department who did participate in the mediation and that, frankly, included pretty much all the top management in the department," says Zerby.

Anita Urvina Selin serves on the mayor's panel of community advisors, which will interview the candidates this weekend. She is chair of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and an outreach liaison for Spanish speakers with Hennepin County. She was also part of the community mediation team and hopes the new chief will respect the agreement.

"It's important for me that a new person coming on embraces this wholeheartedly, because this is many months of work but we're going back years and years on issues," says Selin.

Rybak says it's unlikely he'll have a name by next week's executive committee meeting. The name must also go through the public safety committee before going to the full council for a vote.

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