Brian O’Hara is an American law enforcement official who is serving as the 54th Chief of the Minneapolis Police Department. He was the first police chief appointed to lead the Minneapolis Police Department after the murder of George Floyd. Early life and Education Brian A. O’Hara was raised in Kearny, New Jersey. He attended Kearny High School and graduated in 1997. He lived in Newark, New Jersey for twelve years, and earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Rutgers University—Newark. While at Rutgers, he received the Richard J. Hughes Award for having achieved the highest academic standing. O’Hara completed the Harvard Kennedy School’s program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. He is a graduate of the 240th Session of the FBI National Academy and of the 54th Session of the Senior Management Institute for Police at Boston University, O’Hara was also a certified public manager and police academy instructor. Law enforcement career Newark Police Division O’Hara was sworn in as a Newark police officer in 2001 and began as a patrol officer in the city’s West District, serving in the Vailsburg Task Force and Safe City Task Force. As a sergeant, he worked as a field supervisor in the North District and the Office of Policy and Planning. As a lieutenant, he was the North District Executive Officer and served as a special assistant to the Police Director. He commanded the Metro Division and Traffic Unit. In 2017, O’Hara was promoted to captain and appointed to oversee the implementation of a federal consent decree mandating the City of Newark reform its policies and training around police use of force, civilian oversight, supervision, internal affairs, and procedures for stops, searches, and arrests. He was known to lead town hall meetings to obtain community input for reforming police policies, and he was credited by the independent federal monitor for the “unprecedented progress with policy development, drafting new policies required by the Consent Decree, and proposing revisions to some of its current policies to meet Consent Decree standards.” From 2020 until being appointed Public Safety Director, O’Hara served as deputy chief and Commander of the Accountability, Engagement, and Oversight Bureau of the Newark Police Division. This Bureau comprises the Office of Professional Standards (Internal Affairs), Consent Decree and Planning Division, Training Division, Firearms Range, Community & Clergy Affairs Unit, Technology Unit, Compliance Unit, All Force Investigation & Tracking Team (AFIT), Risk