[Laughter] ♪ I AIN'T LYING ♪♪ >> CATHY: LATE LAST WEEK, THE MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL APPROVED TODD BARNETTE AS THE CITY'S NEXT COMMUNITY SAFETY COMMISSIONER.

BARNETTE LEAVES HIS POSITION AS CHIEF JUDGE OF HENNEPIN COUNTY TO BECOME THE SECOND COMMUNITY SAFETY COMMISSIONER IN MINNEAPOLIS.

THE FIRST COMMISSIONER RETIRED EARLIER THIS FALL AFTER BEING ON THE JOB FOR JUST OVER A YEAR.

COMMISSIONER BARNETTE, WELCOME TO "ALMANAC."

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Cathy: YOUR FIRST FULL WEEK ON-THE-JOB.

>> >> YES.

[Laughter] >> Cathy: I'M WONDERING, YOU EVER ALL OF THIS IN FRONT OF YOU.

YOUR PLATE IS FULL, YOU'RE COORDINATING THE MINNEAPOLIS FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, 9-1-1 EMERGENCY SERVICES, COMMUNITY SAFETY.

HAVE I GOT IT ALL RIGHT?

ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT PLACES?

>> YES.

>> Cathy: AS YOU COORDINATE ALL OF THAT, HOW IS THAT GOING TO MAKE THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS SAFER?

>> WILL, THE GOVERNOR -- THE GOVERNOR, THE MAYOR IS REALLY TASKED ME WITH TRYING TO LOOK AT THIS HOLISTICALLY AND TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH.

WE ALL KNOW THAT COMMUNITY SAFETY IS NOT JUST IN THESE FIVE DEPARTMENTS SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS NOT ONLY WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY BUT ALSO WITH HENNEPIN COUNTY AND THE STATE.

I MEAN IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE EFFORT BUT THAT WILL TAKE SOME TIME AND A LOT OF PARTNERSHIPS.

>> Eric: ARE YOU RUNNING ANY OF THESE DEPARTMENTS OR DOES ANYBODY REPORT TO YOU OR WHAT'S THE EXTENTS OF YOUR AUTHORITIES?

>> SO, NO, I'M NOT RUNNING DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS IN ANY OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS.

ALL FIVE OF THOSE DEPARTMENT HEADS WILL REPORT TO ME.

>> Eric: AND YOU DO WHAT WITH THEIR REPORT?

CAN YOU MAKE SUGGESTIONS OR ORDER SOMETHING TO CHANGE OR -- I SUPPOSE IT DEPENDS ON THE STATE AND FEDERAL DECREASE THAT ARE THERE, TOO.

>> RIGHT.

SO IF WE LOOK AT -- MOST PEOPLE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE POLICE.

I MEAN, THERE'S FIVE BUT MOST PEOPLE WANT TO TALK ABOUT POLICE.

SO, YOU NOW, WE HAVE THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS.

WE HAVE A CONSENT DECREE THAT WE KNOW IS GOING TO COME FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

SO I LOOK AT THAT AND SO I REALLY DO FEEL LIKE MY JOB IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA IS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE COMPLYING WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS.

AND THEN JUST IN GENERAL, STAFFING FOR POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT, 9-1-1 IS AN ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH.

THAT'S A NATIONAL ISSUE BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH HERE, AS WELL.

>> Cathy: WHAT WOULD SUCCESS, SAY, IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

>> THAT I'M STILL ON-THE-JOB?

[CHUCKLING] >> BUT, REALLY, I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS QUITE OFTEN IS THAT WE REALLY, OUT OF THE FIVE DEPARTMENTS, WE GOT TO REALLY LOOK AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY DEPARTMENT AS THE FRONT OF THE ROAD.

CRIME PREVENTION.

WE NEED TO BUILD THAT UP, CRIME PREVENTION.

WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS THE END OF THE ROAD AND WHAT WE WANT TO REALLY DO IS PREVENT FOLKS FROM HAVING THAT INTERACTION, SO SUCCESS WOULD BE THAT WE'RE DOING BOTH OF THESE THINGS AT THE SAME TIME, AND THAT WE'RE HAVING SOME GOOD RESULTS.

>> Eric: SOME OF THE COMMENTARY THIS WEEK HAS BEEN TO THE EFFECT THAT YOU'RE KIND OF A HUMAN HEAT SHIELD FOR THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, THAT IF THERE'S BLAME TO BE SORTED OUT, YOU'LL BE THE GUY THAT CATCHES THE FLACK.

DO YOU SEE IT THAT WAY?

>> I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT BUT I DON'T SEE IT THAT WAY.

I REALLY DO FEEL LIKE I'M NOT THERE TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN TO GIVE THE FACTS.

THEY CAN ARGUE ABOUT WHAT THE FACTS ARE BUT MY JOB IS O DO THIS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, GIVE THEM THE FACTS AND THEY CAN ARGUE HOWEVER THEY WANT TO.

>> Cathy: DO YOU EVER THE RESOURCES TO GET EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANT DONE?

I MEAN, IN TERMS OF PEOPLE, IN TERMS OF MONEY.

THIS IS A LOT.

>> IT IS A LOT.

LIKE I WAS TALKING EARLIER, I THINK ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT NOW IS STAFFING.

IT'S A NATIONAL ISSUE.

ONE OF THE FIRST MEETINGS I HAD ON MONDAY WAS WITH H.R.

TO TALK ABOUT THOSE ISSUES, WHAT ARE WE DOING?

WHAT CAN -- ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO?

ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO DO IS LOOK AT OTHER CITIES AND SEE IF THEY'VE HAD SUCCESS, YOU KNOW, OTHER LARGE CITIES LIKE MINNEAPOLIS AND SEE IF THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO THERE.

SO STAFFING, WE GOT TO GET THAT UP.

AS FAR AS RESOURCES, I THINK A LOT OF THAT WILL DEPEND ON WHAT CITY COUNCIL WILL GIVE.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A LONG-TERM PROJECT, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT YEAR.

WHAT WE GET FUNDING FROM CITY COUNCIL, WHAT PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING THAT WE'LL GET, AS WELL.

JUST REACHING OUT, YOU KNOW, USUALLY THERE'S STATE MONEY, THERE'S USUALLY FEDERAL MONEY.

JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR FUNDING OPTIONS.

>> Eric: AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE, MAYOR FREY SAID WITH OUR DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS IN ALL KINDS OF THINGS WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE, THAT YOU CAN IDENTIFY GAPS.

HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED ANY IN THE WEEK YOU'VE BEEN ON-THE-JOB OR TOO EARLY TO SAY?

>> WELL, HERE'S ONE THING THAT I WOULD SAY THAT BECAME APPARENT TO ME AS I HAD MY FIRST MEETING WITH ALL FIVE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THEY WENT AROUND AND KIND OF GAVE ME SOME UPDATES.

WE DON'T DO A GOOD JOB AT GETTING OUT THE MESSAGE OF HOW MANY GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS, AND WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB AT THAT.

THAT IS DEFINITELY ONE GAP.

>> Eric: BIG JOB.

GOOD LUCK, WE'LL BE WATCHING.

WE'LL BE