Minneapolis mayor, police chief say conflict forged closer working relationship

The Minneapolis mayor and police chief insist they are working together to protect the city, despite a federal report that spotlighted “strain” in their relationship as a cause for police confusion in the aftermath of the Jamar Clark shooting.

The relationship between Chief Janeé Harteau and her boss, Mayor Betsy Hodges, will continue to be tested as the city works to build trust between police and people of color, and rolls out a plan this spring to curb a spate of late-night weekend shootings downtown and solve the tricky problem of nuisance crime on Hennepin Avenue.

It’s also a high-stakes mayoral election year, and selecting a chief to lead the police is one of the most important jobs of the mayor of Minneapolis. Hodges enters her fourth year as mayor amid skepticism that she and the chief have the close-knit relationship needed to adequately police a big city.

“A united front is really important and people don’t have the confidence that that’s what’s there,” said Barb Johnson, the president of the City Council.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-mayor-police-chief-say-conflict-forged-closer-working-relationship/417096233/