Photo by Deb Gau Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo spoke to audience members at the Danebod Folk Meeting in Tyler on Saturday afternoon. Arradondo was sworn in as chief in September 2017, and is the first black chief in the Minneapolis Police Department’s history.

TYLER — “I didn’t come into this without some turbulence,” Medaria Arradondo said, talking about his job. And his position — as police chief for Minnesota’s biggest city — is a complex one to begin with. But in spite of the turbulence, Arradondo said he saw opportunities for Minneapolis law enforcement to move forward and build trust with community members.

“I believe in the Minneapolis Police Department,” Arradondo said. “We can continue to do some very innovative things in policing.”

Arradondo was one of the featured speakers Saturday at the Danebod Folk Meeting in Tyler. The annual event, now in its 72nd year, hosts a variety of educational lectures, social events and music.

Arradondo spoke to an audience gathered at the Danebod Folk School on the topic of law enforcement in Minneapolis. It’s a job that comes with many challenges, he said. However, Arradondo said he’s working to help start a “culture shift” that could improve the department’s relationship with the public.

Arradondo has been with the Minneapolis Police Department since 1989. He said his goal as a law enforcement officer was to serve the city — something he learned from his family.

“My mother always really instilled that sense of service in us,” he said.

He was sworn in as Minneapolis police chief in September 2017, during a turbulent time for the department. His predecessor as chief, Janeé Harteau, resigned after a woman was killed in a controversial officer-involved shooting.

“It was an incident that had ramifications not only in Minneapolis, but across the globe,” Arradondo said.

Now, as Minneapolis’ 53rd police chief, Arradondo said, “I don’t have all the answers.” However, he hopes to move the MPD in the right direction. “I feel it’s an opportunity to do some great things.”

Arradondo said rebuilding trust was the No. 1 priority for him as police chief. Police officers need to earn the benefit of the doubt when they’re interacting with members of the public, he said. Part of that involves getting to know the people they are serving.

Walking a foot beat in north Minneapolis in the early part of his career “forced me to step out of my comfort zone,” Arradondo said. “It probably was the most enriching experience for me as a police officer.”

Arradondo said he’d like to increase the number of officers in the Minneapolis PD, partly in order to have more foot beat officers.

“I need to get those folks out of their squad cars,” he said.

Other things Arradondo said he’s putting a focus on include working with the recruitment and hiring process for police candidates, supporting mental health and wellness for officers, and addressing the tensions community members feel with police.

“De-escalation is very important, but even before that … is what we call procedural justice,” Arradondo said. The concept of procedural justice includes giving community members a voice, respecting them and building trust, he said.

There are also incidents where police may not be the best responders, Arradondo said. This year, the Minneapolis PD started hiring “community navigators” to help work with communities of color, and to help address ongoing issues like mental health or drug overdoses.

“Procedural justice isn’t just how we treat each other’s communities, it’s how we treat our co-workers,” Arradondo said. Respect and professionalism were key when Minneapolis hosted Super Bowl LII, he said. An event the size of the Super Bowl is a huge undertaking for public safety.

“That involved us working together with 60 different agencies,” Arradondo said.

Audience members had questions about current issues in public safety, from gun control to officer-involved shootings.

“I’m for universal background checks” for firearms, Arradondo said.

Arradondo also talked about the need for law enforcement to continue to work to mitigate and help prevent tragedies like officer-involved shootings, and to talk about how issues like race impact policing.

“We have to continue to learn,” he said.