Dec 2023. Blues Vol 39 No. 12

AROUND THE COUNTRY

AROUND THE COUNTRY MINNEAPOLIS, MN. Chief Brian O’Hara Is The Reason Minneapolis Is Falling. BY The Law Officer There may not be a better definition for weak leadership than Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. After being hired from Newark with significant ties to the Department of Justice, O’Hara didn’t waste time tightening his uniform sleeves and throwing cops under the bus in Minneapolis and around the country by saying their behavior earned Department of Justice Consent Decrees. O’Hara is all in with the DOJ despite thirty years of data showing the destruction of every city the DOJ has been in. O’Hara is a reform chief and he’s banking that no one pays attention to the violent crime and mass exodus in Minneapolis as he pads his resume for the next large city that wants to destroy itself with “reform.” His brilliant plan to hire cops was to give them money, which was quickly rejected by the city council and it’s laughable that anyone, including O’Hara, believes that money would make anyone go to work in Minneapolis. Their 72 page use of force policy that includes, among many crazy concepts, that “officers shall act in a manner that promotes trust between MPD and the communities it serves,” is just a small part of the problem in Minneapolis. The larger issue, and one that every leader is running from, is their lies in the George Floyd incident. In the aftermath of the new documentary by Liz Collin, “The Fall of Minneapolis,” you would have to be literally brain dead to not understand that leadership in Minneapolis lied to the world and knowingly sent four innocent cops to jail. O’Hara is not brain dead. The blood flow leaving his tailored sleeves likely improves his critical thinking skills so he is choosing to promulgate the lie. Four Minneapolis police officers are in prison because they followed Minneapolis Police Department policy and training. Rather than tell the truth that the tactics used had nothing to do with a man dying with a series of health conditions, including lethal amounts of fentanyl, Minneapolis leaders lied and they are continuing to lie today. After Derek Chauvin was stabbed in prison on Friday, O’Hara took a break from dumbbell curls to give a statement: “Violence is barbaric and tragic, and should never be cause for celebration. Derek Chauvin’s conduct on May 25, 2020, was unequivocally criminal and resulted in death. Today’s news is cause for quiet reflection as the world continues to process, and Minneapolis tries to heal, from very open wounds.” Minneapolis has already lost almost 300 cops and there will be down another 100 in a few years. It’s only a matter of time that the complete and utter destruction comes to the city and when it does, we want everyone to know why. You cannot throw cops in jail for following policy and training and expect anyone to work in that agency. No sane person will ever hire on in Minneapolis and O’Hara’s statement today only solidifies that point. O’Hara and Minneapolis leaders have one choice if they want to save their city. Tell the truth. 54 The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue

The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 55