Newsmakers: Brooklyn Center Police Chief Kellace McDaniel On His Upcoming Retirement
Brooklyn Police Chief Kellace McDaniel talked with CCX News regarding his recent announcement he plans to retire at the beginning of next year.
The 25-year law enforcement veteran came to the city in the wake of turmoil following the police shooting death of Daunte Wright. Former Chief Tim Gannon resigned shortly after. McDaniel, a former Hennepin County sheriff’s deputy, was hired in 2022.
“It was a big challenge. People thought maybe ‘He’s a good healer, as a chief, kind of non-traditional,'” said Chief McDaniel. “I helped bring that family aspect back together, and before you know it, everybody engages in my style, and I think it’s been working.”
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Kellace McDaniel announced he will retire in January.
The city continues to re-examine its public safety model in the aftermath of Wright’s death. But McDaniel said he’s not alone in his efforts to reform the department. He points proudly to the more than a dozen officers he’s helped swear in during his tenure.
“A lot of them will say, ‘Hey, I want to be a part of change.’ And when I see that, and I see the look in their eyes, I say, you know, that person is a good prospect for our agency,” said McDaniel. “It’s just really nice to hear the different answers, and to be able to see the smiles on their faces. There’s still some people out there who want to be cops, and we have some really good people on our force.”
McDaniel will retire at the end of January. He is a former Scott County corrections officer and he spent part of his career with Hennepin County in six different divisions of the sheriff’s office, including as supervisor of the courthouse security team of more than 50 deputies.
