MPD interim chief grilled by city council ahead of confirmation vote
MPD Chief nominee questioned before confirmation
The Minneapolis City Council on Thursday questioned interim MPD Chief Bill Peterson at length over his qualifications and plans for the Minneapolis Police Department prior to a vote to make him the department's lead full-time. In October, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey nominated Peterson to take over the position on a permanent basis to a term ending in January 2030.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - After being nominated by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to lead the Minneapolis Police Department on a full-time basis, interim MPD Chief Bill Peterson faced intense questioning from city council members prior to having his nomination confirmation on Thursday.
MPD interim chief questioned by council
What we know:
Peterson, a 31-year department veteran who began with MPD when he was "a kid" at 21-years-old, took the chief position on an interim basis following the resignation of Brian O’Hara in May 2026.
In October, Frey nominated Peterson for the position, while saying 20 people had applied, many of them already working in the department.
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Dig deeper:
On Thursday, council members took several hours total questioning Peterson on topics ranging from professionalism within the department, department spending, reform efforts within the department and discipline among rank-and-file officers.
Peterson noted under his watch he would take seriously allegations of officer misconduct, whether verbal or physical incidents, noting the department currently has 41 different complaints that affect roughly 85 department officers.
"I've sat down and made some decisions that are significant around the allegations that have been made," Peterson told the council. "I also want to let the council know and members of the public know that these allegations, when they come through from a panel, if they're sustained, they go to the city attorney's office for review. The city attorney's office reviews these cases, and then they go back to internal affairs … and then he comes to me with a recommendation, and that I sit down with all of that information from all of those people, and then I make a disciplined decision. And I take that responsibility very seriously."
Community leaders involved in the search previously told FOX 9 that they were impressed by the speed at which Peterson started addressing internal issues during his four months as interim chief.
However, council members have noted that Peterson currently has two open internal complaints against him, the nature of which are not public information.
Peterson, in turn, acknowledged he has not always "been perfect" throughout his career, but has always strived to be a leader in every role he has taken.
"I believe that culture change starts at the top. So I wholeheartedly believe that that culture change starts with me as the chief of police," Peterson said on Thursday. "I am somebody who has worked extremely hard to keep both my personal and professional life unsullied. I'm a huge believer in leading by example. Modeling the standard and the expectations that I expect every member of the Minneapolis Police Department to live up to. So, it first and foremost starts with me."
Several times throughout the questioning, Peterson was called on to denounce any forms of discriminatory or racist behavior within the police ranks, noting that such behavior under his oversight would not be tolerated.
What's next:
If confirmed by the Minneapolis City Council, Peterson would become the MPD Chief for a term through January 2030.
The Source: FOX 9 reporting from the Minneapolis City Council meeting on Nov. 12, 2026.