Cedrick Frazier on his vision for Hennepin County Attorney: 'Support, not surprises'

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Cedrick Frazier continues to make his case to become the next Hennepin County Attorney, highlighting public safety priorities and his goal to rebuild relationships with local law enforcement. 

READ MORE: Anders Folk on his campaign for Hennepin County Attorney

Who is Cedrick Frazier?

Big picture view:

Frazier says he grew up on the south side of Chicago, where he saw high homicide rates, rampant drug use and gang violence. This environment shaped how he views public safety and fairness in the justice system. 

He said he came to Minnesota to attend the University of Minnesota-Morris, where he played football, then earned a master's degree at Minnesota State-Mankato in urban studies with an emphasis on local government management. 

Frazier said he later worked as a public defender in Hennepin County, in the general counsel's office for Minneapolis Public Schools and as a labor attorney for educators, while also serving in the Minnesota Legislature on the House Public Safety Committee, as vice chair of the Judiciary Committee, as co-chair of the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus and as co-chair of the Ways and Means Committee.

Vision for change 

What they're saying:

Frazier said he sees a new term in the office as a chance to move forward, and not return to what he called a failed status quo tied to conditions before George Floyd's murder and the civil unrest that followed.

Frazier said he wants a victims and survivors advisory board to help shape office policies and practices, and he said he wants more resources for young people who make bad decisions, so the office can balance accountability with rehabilitation. 

"[If] we've got anyone that's harming a community, there should be accountability for that, and that includes incarceration," said Frazier.

He also said prevention matters because the best outcome is when harm never happens in the first place. Frazier said he wants the office to treat wage theft as a crime because unpaid wages can destabilize working families and then ripple into community safety problems.

Frazier said there is a breakdown between the current office and law enforcement, pointing to public back-and-forth that has played out in the media.

"My staff, myself, are gonna be there as a way of support, not surprises," said Frazier.

He said he already has relationships with law enforcement through his public safety work in the Minnesota Legislature and would use those connections right away.

Frazier also said he carried legislation for non-fatal shooting resources and helped craft legislation tied to Ramsey County's non-fatal shooting task force, adding that solving those cases can stop the next shooting and prevent retaliation.

ICE surge and response to federal authorities

Dig deeper:

Frazier said he was in the community when Alex Pretti and Renée Good were shot, and said neighbors asked him how those responsible could walk away without consequences. 

"If you come into our state, and you violate the laws, you are also under the jurisdiction of the county attorney, and we can prosecute and charge those cases," said Frazier.

Frazier said his office would review the evidence, including material that is still being withheld by federal authorities, and would file charges when it could prove a state law violation beyond a reasonable doubt. 

He also said there is "absolutely daylight" between him and his opponent, Anders Folk, on that issue.