Minneapolis council rejects Bill Peterson for police chief

Council rejects Peterson

The Minneapolis City Council voted 8-5 against Bill Peterson for police chief. Eight council members opposed approving him, while five supported him. With 13 votes cast, opposition exceeded support by three votes, so Peterson did not receive council approval.

The decision is a council action on who would serve as police chief, a position central to the city’s public-safety administration. It is not a citywide election result, and no candidate race is directly tied to the vote. The tally records the council’s decision on Peterson specifically; it does not select someone else for the job.

What the vote settles

The 8-5 result settles the question before the council: Peterson was rejected for police chief. The five votes in his favor were not enough to overcome the eight opposing votes. Because the council voted on Peterson, the result should not be read as a public referendum on broader policing questions or as a decision about another potential choice.

The next relevant public action will be any council step concerning leadership of the Police Department. That could include a new item on the council’s agenda involving the police chief position, but the vote does not establish a specific next action. Any later council action would have its own record and would be separate from the 8-5 tally on Peterson.