Interim Golden Valley Police Chief to Resign After Tension-Filled Council Meeting
Golden Valley interim Police Chief Scott Nadeau plans to resign, city officials confirmed with CCX News on Wednesday. The resignation notice follows a city council meeting Tuesday night where one council member said “the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.”
The tension originated with the search for the city’s next police chief. Mayor Shep Harris said he believed the search was negatively impacted by officers inside the department and members with the Golden Valley Crime Prevention Fund. Mayor Shep Harris says these incidents have reduced the number and quality of local applicants.
“It has infected the department and created a toxic culture of hostility, intimidation, paternalism and unfortunately, racism,” said Harris. “I believe it has infected this process in direct opposition to our welcome statement and values.”
Harris continued to read a statement as a point of privilege at the beginning of the meeting, saying some city staff do not feel safe in a room with some members of the police department.
“Residents and staff do not feel safe with some members of the police department and over at Brookview Community Center . We have trouble retaining people of color and women on staff,” said Harris.
Harris said he believed the next police chief should be Virgil Green, a candidate with experience as chief in Oklahoma and Arkansas.
The decision to hire a police chief in Golden Valley actually rests with the city manager, Tim Cruikshank.
During the council comments portion of the meeting, Golden Valley City Council member Maurice Harris addressed the matter, saying the city went outside the box to attempt to make the matter as public and inclusive as possible. He went on to say the interim chief should not apply for the position, because it creates “an awkward situation.”
Council member Harris went on to encourage the city manager to hold staff accountable to the city’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
“If they can’t do that, they’ve got to go because we can’t keep pressing pause, or slow walking it because we’ve slow-walked long enough,” said Maurice Harris. “I just don’t sit here to smile and vote, but I want to see progress. We want to see progress. We demand to see progress and if you aren’t on board with that, you can go somewhere else.”
Golden Valley City Council member Kimberly Sanberg says the process of selecting the city’s next chief was “a process run with integrity.”
Scott Nadeau at the Golden Valley City Council on Sept. 9.
On Wednesday, Nadeau withdrew his name from consideration for the permanent position and submitted his two-week resignation.
According to city officials, Golden Valley will proceed with a conversation with the other finalist, Virgil Green, on Monday.
Listen to the full city council meeting here.
