Minneapolis Police Chief Harteau will attend 'public trust' forum

Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau will be part of the first of three events being called "community conversations" aimed at improving public safety and public trust with her department this week.

The first meeting will be held Wednesday night at Macedonia Baptist Church in south Minneapolis. Mayor Betsy Hodges is also scheduled to attend.

Yvonne Cheek, a management consultant, will moderate the discussion, which will include questions and comments from the audience.

Harteau faced criticism last month when she withdrew from a similar event just hours before it was scheduled to begin. She said at the time she was concerned protests could pose a safety risk. The session went on without her, and there were no reports of violence.

Harteau and Hodges will hold two more community conversations later this month, on Oct. 14 in north Minneapolis and one in Cedar-Riverside on Oct. 30.