Today, the Minneapolis City Council confirmed Mayor Frey’s nominee, Hennepin County Chief Judge Todd Barnette, to the role of Community Safety Commissioner. As Community Safety Commissioner, Barnette will head the Office of Community Safety (OCS) and manage the City’s five safety departments, the Department of Neighborhood Safety, 911, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minneapolis Fire Department, and the Emergency Management Department. City officials established OCS last year as the City’s primary vehicle for integrating the ongoing community safety work.
Barnette brings over three decades of legal expertise and management to the role, in addition to deep existing relationships with residents, safety officials, reform experts, and elected leaders.
“Over the past thirty years, Todd Barnette has solidified his position as an expert within Minnesota’s public safety and criminal justice communities,” Mayor Frey said. “With a reputation as a leader who listens, Barnette possesses a unique capacity to foster partnerships required to advance a comprehensive safety framework. He is an exceptional leader and I know that he will be an integral member of the cabinet.”
“I’m humbled by the overwhelming support of Mayor Frey, the City Council, and the residents of Minneapolis,” Barnette said. “I couldn’t be more excited to become Minneapolis’ next Community Safety Commissioner – and I look forward to collaborating and working with our City, State, and County partners to advance the innovative and proactive measures in addressing community safety.”
Barnette currently serves as Hennepin County Chief Judge for the state’s largest Judicial Court District, where he leads more than 60 State judges and supports more than 550 employees. Barnette oversaw the transition from in-person remote trial work during the COVID-19 pandemic – and led an innovative approach to ensuring the administration of justice.
Throughout his career, Barnette has also worked as a public defender and prosecutor, presiding over thousands of cases, many high-profile, and numerous trials. In his work, he has remained committed to justice and equality and has played a pivotal role in implementing policies that align with the needs and values of Minneapolis residents.
As the City’s next Community Safety Commissioner, Barnette will focus on strengthening internal partnerships between the five safety departments, collaborating closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and coordinating comprehensive and integrated safety strategies alongside external businesses and community leaders.
Lee Sheehy has served as Interim Community Safety Commissioner since early September following the retirement of Dr. Cedric Alexander, the City’s first Commissioner. The transition of the role to Barnette presents an opportunity for the City to continue defining the Community Safety Commissioner role and OCS’s role in fostering a comprehensive approach to community safety.
Barnette will be officially sworn in as the City’s Community Safety Commissioner on Monday, October 23. The position is a four-year appointed term.
Barnette’s background
In 2020, Barnette was the first person of color to be elected chief judge of Hennepin County District Court. Prior to that, Barnette served the Court as the Assistant Chief Judge and District Court Judge and worked as an attorney for the Office of the Hennepin County Public Defender for more than a decade. Barnette received the Hennepin County Bar Association Professionalism Award in 2012 and the Hennepin County Champion of Change Award in 2004.
Locally, Barnette’s efforts to strengthen community safety in Minneapolis are already underway through volunteer work and different committee memberships. He currently serves on the Hennepin County Bar Association Bar Memorial Committee and is a part of the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District Safety Collaborative, where he helps amplify and bolster community-led solutions to address crime and safety initiatives downtown.
Barnette’s work extends beyond the courtroom. For more than a decade, he’s mentored aspiring young law professionals at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, and he’s worked as an adjunct professor at the university for the past five years. Barnette received his B.A. from The George Washington University in Washington D.C., and his law degree from the University of Minnesota.