Chief O’Hara names two civilians to top MPD leadership posts
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Chief Brian O'Hara has named two civilians to key leadership posts in the Minneapolis Police Department.
Ganesha Martin, who held senior roles at the Baltimore Police Department, is leading the Constitutional Policing Bureau, and attorney Ayodele Famodu is the first non-officer to head the Internal Affairs Bureau.
Famodu worked previously as a Ramsey County prosecutor, a public defender in Hennepin County, a U.S. Army lawyer and served most recently as an assistant state attorney general, where she represented the office on Minnesota’s Cannabis Expungement Board.
At a news conference Monday, Famodu promised to be fair and thorough when investigating complaints against police officers.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
“All complaints should be treated with respect, with dignity and should be processed in a manner with a just eye,” Famodu said. “You don’t make decisions until all pieces of evidence and information are put forth.”
Martin’s main task is to implement MPD’s court-ordered settlement agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
“The way that I do this work is that you have to center both police and community voices,” Martin said. “And that is from the front lines, rank and file, the ones that are out there pushing the squad car every day all the way up to the command staff. And then you’ve got to go talk to the community, the folks who’ve been affected, who have placed their hope and trust in this process.”
In Baltimore, Martin helped the police department comply with a federal consent decree that followed the 2015 death in police custody of Freddie Gray. She also worked as an independent monitor on the Cleveland Police Department’s consent decree.
While MPD’s court-ordered agreement with the state has been in effect for more than a year, a similar agreement with the U.S. Justice Department remains on hold at the request of the Trump Administration.
While not sworn officers, O’Hara said that both women have the same authority as deputy chiefs. He noted that the agreement with MDHR does not require civilians in those roles.
“This is my vision for what I believe is best for the Minneapolis Police Department, based not only on my experience, but also what other major cities across the country have done,” O’Hara said.
