Minneapolis police chief announces new leadership team

The Minneapolis Police Department's front office got a makeover.

New police Chief Medaria Arradondo has tapped deputy chief Mike Kjos to be his No. 2, he announced Monday as part of a shake-up of the department's top leadership. The moves, which included the naming of three new deputy chiefs, come nearly two weeks after Arradondo was confirmed as the city's 53rd police chief.

Arradondo was appointed by Mayor Betsy Hodges last month to serve out the unexpired term of Janeé Harteau, who was ousted amid a public uproar over the shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond by Minneapolis officer Mohamed Noor.

Kjos, the only holdover from Harteau's front office, will become assistant chief. Earlier this year, the popular Kjos took over as deputy chief of patrol after serving as inspector of both the 1st and 4th precincts. A 29-year veteran of the department, he has also worked as a patrol officer and supervisor in downtown, and both the South and North sides.

In his new job, he'll handle the day-to-day operations, freeing Arradondo to focus on major policy matters facing the department.

As part of the reorganization, Cmdr. Erick Fors and two lieutenants, Art Knight and Henry Halvorson, were elevated to the position of deputy chief.

In a statement Monday, Arradondo lauded his new appointees' "respect and credibility."

In addition to his role as deputy chief, Knight, a 25-year department veteran who most recently ran the Procedural Justice unit, will also act as Arradondo's chief of staff, serving as a liaison between the department and various communities it serves. Fors will head the Investigations Bureau, which includes specialized units such as homicide, domestic assault and sex crimes. He joined the force 19 years ago, doing stints as a crisis intervention officer and a homicide detective, and most recently serving as commander of the Violent Crimes Investigations Division.

Halvorson came on as a cadet in the department in 1992 and last summer briefly served as interim commander of Internal Affairs. He will run the Office of Professional Standards.

Former deputy Chief Bruce Folkens will now be the Commander of the newly-formed Juvenile Division, while former deputy Chief Travis Glampe, one of Harteau's original appointees, will command the new Technology & Support Services Division.

A spokesman for Hodges said Monday that the mayor had spoken with Arradondo about the appointments.

"They mayor believes that the chief has made some strong choices to assist him in leading the department moving forward," Eric Fought, said. Asked about the lack of women in the new command staff, Arradondo said that the unexpected departures of Harteau and former assistant chief Kris Arneson, who retired earlier this year, "left a significant vacuum in our executive female leadership."

Libor Jany • 612-673-4064 Twitter:@StribJany