John Harrington, the commissioner of the state Department of Public Safety for nearly four years, has chosen not to seek reappointment, the governor's office announced Wednesday.
Gov. Tim Walz, in a statement that included the announcement of numerous changes in his cabinet, thanked Harrington "for his tireless work to protect the health and safety of people across Minnesota."
The governor's statement noted that Harrington "served the state through historic times, including the murder of George Floyd, oversaw significant police reform initiatives, and problem-solved to help local governments across the state protect public safety."
Other accomplishments Walz noted under Harrington's time leading the department include recognizing cancer as a potential cause of death in the line of duty for emergency responders, working with public service and community groups to hand out more than 30,000 gun locks, and addressing difficulties with the state's driver's licensing and vehicle registration systems.
In his own statement, Harrington thanked Walz "for giving me the opportunity to serve as the 14th commissioner of public safety and the opportunity to not only to be his public safety and homeland security policy adviser, but to also be the leader of this magnificent department."
He went on to praise department employees across the board as "the true backbone of the department that allows all the work to be done."
His statement did not address whether he would remain in law enforcement, pursue other work or retire. Through a department spokesperson, Harrington declined an interview request.
Harrington, 66, was appointed by Gov. Tim Walz as commissioner in January 2019, adding to a career spanning 45 years that includes leading the St. Paul Police Department and after that being chief of police for Metro Transit. In between, he served in the state Senate from 2010 to 2012.
The responsibilities of the DPS are many and varied. They include law enforcement through the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the State Patrol, traffic safety, alcohol and gambling, fire safety, driver licensing, vehicle registration and emergency management.
The Chicago native received his bachelor's degree in religion from Dartmouth University and a master's from the University of St. Thomas. He has been a faculty member at Metropolitan State University, Saint Mary's University and the University of St. Thomas​.
Harrington helped found Asian-American and Black police officers associations, and has traveled to Somalia to help train and outfit under-resourced police tasked with responding to terror threats. His nonprofit Ujamaa Place, has helped steer young Black men out of the criminal justice system.
