Executive Director Report
MCPA Peer Support Program for CLEOs and Command Staff
MCPA is in the process of forming a Peer Support program exclusively for CLEOs and Command Staff Members. Despite needing peer support resources just as much as anyone else, Chiefs and Command Staff members are often not included in department peer support programs. The MPCA is determined to fill that gap.
Please consider joining our team and signing up for this valuable training:
- Dates: February 25–27, 2026
- Schedule: Wednesday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
- + 6 hours of online training to complete before the in-person sessions.
- Location: New Brighton Department of Public Safety
- Cost: $275 per person
- POST Credit: Approved for 30 CEUs (in-person) and compliant with Minnesota Statute §181.9731 (Public Safety Peer Counseling)
Lunch will be provided Wednesday through Friday, along with daily snacks. Please bring a reusable water bottle (filling stations will be available).
Thank you,
Jeff Potts
Executive Director
Fall Leadership Summit
More than 100 law enforcement professionals are already registered for the MCPA Fall Leadership Summit, taking place November 18–20 at Cragun’s Resort in Brainerd. Chiefs and Command Staff from across Minnesota will gather for 2.5 days of professional development, connection, and leadership growth.
The agenda features sessions on AI in investigations, leadership wellness, legislative updates, POST Board updates, and a report on officers injured in the line of duty.
If you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time to join your peers for this valuable event.
Registration is $280 per person and includes sessions, materials, and group meals.
Register
MCPA Membership Payment Update
MCPA now offers several convenient ways to pay for your membership renewals, event registrations, permits, and other invoices:
If you encounter any issues, please contact Acacia Huss-Zirzow.
Minnesota State Evidence Retention Guidelines Released
The Minnesota Association of Property and Evidence Technicians (MAPET) has released the newly developed Minnesota State Evidence Retention Guidelines.
Created through a statewide collaboration among property and evidence professionals, law enforcement representatives, and members of the legal community, the guidelines are supported by the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association, Minnesota County Attorneys Association, and the League of Minnesota Cities.
The document provides a consistent, practical framework for evidence retention practices across Minnesota, aligning statutory requirements with best practices to promote uniformity and accountability in how agencies manage evidence.
December Leadership Academy
MCPA will host its Leadership Academy December 9-12, 2025 at Camp Ripley in Little Falls. This 3.5-day program is designed for first-line supervisors and middle managers preparing to step into leadership roles. Key topics, including complaint sorting and discipline, performance appraisals, general leadership principles, and media relations musts for every police department.
Registration is open until December 1, 2025.
Register
Minnesota 2025 Election Results
Minnesota Senate
November 4th was the Special Election date to fill the Minnesota Senate seats left vacant by the death of former Senate Bruce Andeson (R-Buffalo) and by the resignation of Senator Nicole Mitchell (DFL-Woodbury) following a felony conviction for burglary. As expected, Republican Michael Holstrom won the race in Senate District 29, receiving 62% of the vote and beating DFL candidate Louis McNutt. Holstrom ran on right to life, fiscal responsibility, public safety, protecting the 2nd Amendment, and government transparency.
In Senate District 47, Representative Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger (DFL-Woodbury) won with 62% of the vote against Republican Dwight Dorau. With her move to the State Senate, she will resign from her House seat and there will be a special election to fill the vacancy. It is expected the seat will be won by a DFL candidate, which means the tied House will likely remain tied in the 2026 Legislative Session.
The State Senate has now returned to full capacity with 34 DFL seats and 33 GOP seats following both special elections.
Minneapolis Municipal Elections
The Mayor and all 13 City Council seats were up for election in Minneapolis on Tuesday and was a contest between the moderate and progressive wings of the Democratic Party. Moderate Mayor Jacob Frey was seeking a third term and was looking to bust the 9-4 progressive majority on the Council that overrode several mayoral vetoes.
Minneapolis uses Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in all municipal elections so voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives majority support on the first ballot, tallying goes into multiple rounds until a candidate has received 50% of the votes. This occurred in the mayoral race, the City Council race in Ward 5, and three races for Minneapolis Park Board.
Mayoral Contest
Mayor Frey faced a handful of challengers but three emerged as the most formidable: attorney Jazz Hampton, Rev. Dr. Dewayne Davis, and Democratic-Socialist State Senator Omar Fateh. These three candidates banned together in an effort to leverage RCV in a “Don’t Rank Frey” campaign in hopes voters would keep Frey off their ballot of preferred candidates.
Frey dashed the hopes of his opponents shortly after polls closed when he outperformed his toughest challenger, Sen. Fateh, by 10-points. Balloting went into a second round and Frey was officially declared the winner midday on Wednesday.
Minneapolis City Council Races
With all 13 council seats up for election on Tuesday, moderate factions within the Democratic Party sought to break the existing nine member progressive majority on the City Council. Alternately, the progressive wing sought to protect their veto-proof majority against incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey.
The final outcome for City Council had the moderates picking up two progressive seats with victories for Shaffer and Whiting, eliminating the liberals’ ability to override the Mayor. As a result, Mayor Frey will have more leverage on issues with the Council.
Final results are as follows:
- Ward 1: Incumbent Elliott Payne
- Ward 2: Incumbent Robin Wonsley
- Ward 3: Incumbent Michael Rainville
- Ward 4: Incumbent LaTrisha Vetaw
- Ward 5: Pearll Warren
- Ward 6: Incumbent Jamal Osman
- Ward 7: Elizabeth Shaffer
- Ward 8: Soren Stevenson
- Ward 9: Incumbent Jason Chavez
- Ward 10: Incumbent Aisha Chughtai
- Ward 11: Jamison Whiting
- Ward 12: Incumbent Aurin Chowdhury
- Ward 13: Incumbent Linea Palmisano
Saint Paul
The Mayor was the only official up for election in Saint Paul. The top two contenders for Saint Paul Mayor were incumbent Mayor Melvin Carter and State Representative Kaohly Her. Her was late to the Mayor’s race, announcing her candidacy in August. She seized on voters frustrations with rising property taxes and stagnant economic development in the City’s downtown.
Saint Paul also uses RCV and, after the first round of tabulation, Carter received nearly 41% of votes compared to 38% for Her. Lesser-known candidates Yan Chen and Mike Hilborn received 10% and 9%, respectively. When the city tabulated second-choice votes late Tuesday night, Her emerged with 51.5% of the votes, securing a victory in a stunning upset.
Her will make history by being the first woman and first person of Hmong heritage to serve as the Mayor of Saint Paul. She comes to her new position having served in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2018 and has experience in the finance and investment sector, where she spent 15 years prior to a run for office. Based on Representative Her’s time at the State Legislature, we can expect her approach to mayor to be collaborative and stakeholder-focused. Mayor-elect Her will now need to resign her Minnesota House seat, triggering a special election to be called to fill her vacancy.
What’s Next
Governor Tim Walz will call special elections to fill two House seats vacated by Hemmingsen-Jaeger and Her. Both will likely take place sometime in January so that House Democrats are at full complement when the 2026 Legislative Session starts on February 17.
New Expungement Manual Available for Law Enforcement and City Attorneys
Attorney Richard Hodsdon has shared a new Expungement Manual that he and the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) believe will be helpful for law enforcement leaders, city attorneys, and staff.
Hodsdon’s expungement training began as a half-day course and has since grown into a full-day session due to increasing interest. The manual serves as a practical reference for those handling expungement matters.
Because the topic continues to evolve, MSA plans to offer the training quarterly in 2026, with the first session on January 27, 2026. The class will be available in person and online, and CLE credit has been approved in the past for city attorneys.
Learn More
Minnesota Wild Law Enforcement Night
Discounted Gophers Tickets for First Responders
The University of Minnesota Athletics Department is offering discounted tickets to upcoming First Responder Appreciation Games:
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Nov. 1: Football vs. Michigan State
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Nov. 11: Women’s Basketball vs. Marquette
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Jan. 17: Men’s Hockey vs. Michigan
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Feb. 28: Men’s Basketball vs. UCLA
The first 50 football purchasers receive VIP Halftime Tunnel access, and all football ticket holders can go on the field after the game. The first 50 men’s hockey purchasers get a VIP Locker Room Tour.
Purchase Tickets
