What Chief O’Hara Learned in Minneapolis

The following interview summary offers a sobering look at the crisis currently unfolding in Minneapolis. Chuck Wexler, Executive Director of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)—an organization where I am proud to be a Life Member—speaks with Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. Originally published in their newsletter, PERF Trending, this is a chilling read for those of us who have dedicated our careers to policing our nation’s cities.

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The Reality on the Ground: Tactical Chaos

Chief O’Hara is remarkably blunt about the tactics used by federal agents, characterizing them as “undisciplined” and resembling policing 20 or 30 years ago. He notes several key failures:

• Lack of De-escalation: Federal agents showed no effort to de-escalate, often escalating tensions in volatile areas like Lake Street.
• Disorganized Coordination: He describes federal team tactics as uncoordinated, with agents often appearing to work against one another.
• Transparency Gaps: Federal agencies reportedly failed to report use-of-force incidents (such as the use of chemical irritants) that were independently verified by community video and local police.

The Toll On Local Resources

The surge has placed an “overwhelming” burden on an already understaffed Minneapolis Police Department (MPD).

• Staffing Crisis: MPD is down to 600 officers from 900 in 2020. The surge forced O’Hara to cancel days off and mobilize the National Guard just to answer basic 911 calls.
• The “Buffer” Role: O’Hara argues that local police must act as a buffer. While some view their presence as “protecting ICE,” he insists their goal is to prevent violence and protect residents from the fallout of federal actions.

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Questions for Chiefs: A Framework for Preparation

The core of O’Hara’s advice for other police leaders centers on a series of proactive, diagnostic questions. He argues that a Chief must answer these before the “surge” arrives to avoid a total collapse of community legitimacy.

1. The Policy and Legal Framework

• What are our local ordinances or policies regarding federal cooperation?
• How do these policies change—or hold firm—in a different political environment?

2. Tactical and Operational Parameters

• How will we handle a 10–15% spike in calls for service related specifically to federal activity?
• What are our specific parameters for showing up to crowd control?
• The Perception Problem: If the community sees us at these scenes, will they believe we are there to facilitate federal raids? How do we counter that narrative?

3. Community Trust and Outreach

• How can we educate the community on our practices so they understand we are not taking sides but maintaining peace?
• How do we ensure that vulnerable populations (Latino, Somali, etc.) still trust us enough to call 911 for unrelated crimes?
• The Cost of Silence: If the community stops cooperating with investigations out of fear, how much less safe does the entire city become?

4. Leadership Sustainability

• How do we manage the “airplane rule”—putting on our own oxygen masks first—when the duration of the crisis has no end in sight?