1.1A Senate resolution
1.2honoring Bloomington Police Chief Jeff Potts on his retirement.
1.3WHEREAS, Bloomington Police Chief Jeff Potts has been employed with the city of
1.4Bloomington since 1991. He has served at the Bloomington Police Department for the past 29 years
1.5and has served as the Police Chief since November 2008; and
1.6WHEREAS, under Chief Potts' leadership, the Bloomington Police Department took
1.7significant steps in hiring and training to provide officers with skills to handle all situations
1.8appropriately and treat everyone with respect and dignity; and
1.9WHEREAS, Chief Potts led efforts to interact with the community on a daily basis to build
1.10relationships with the community, including in-person events such as Coffee with a Cop, Community
1.11Conversations, and Safe Summer Nights; establishing a presence on Twitter, Nextdoor, and
1.12Facebook; and launching the video series "Q&A with BPD"; and
1.13WHEREAS, under Chief Potts, Bloomington joined the Joint Community Police Partnership
1.14(JCPP), a Hennepin County program that works collaboratively to enhance relationships between
1.15police and the community, specifically with immigrants, people of color, indigenous people, and
1.16faith communities; and
1.17WHEREAS, Chief Potts was heavily involved in the Pathways to Policing Program, a
1.18collaboration with St. Louis Park and several other agencies starting in 2017 that was designed to
1.19remove barriers from nontraditional candidates who are interested in pursuing a career in law
1.20enforcement but may not have the means to pay for or availability to attend a two-year program.
1.21In 2019, Pathways to Policing received a Program Excellence Award for Community Diversity
1.22and Inclusion from the International City/County Management Association; and
2.1WHEREAS, under Chief Potts, the Bloomington Police Department adopted the use of body
2.2and squad car cameras in 2019 to enhance public trust, collect evidence, and identify training needs;
2.3and
2.4WHEREAS, Chief Potts designed the Embedded Social Worker Program using a social
2.5worker within the police department to help Bloomington residents in crisis, including those with
2.6mental health and substance use disorders; and
2.7WHEREAS, Chief Potts directed the department's response on a number of prominent events,
2.8including presidential visits and Super Bowl LII; and
2.9WHEREAS, Chief Potts will retire on January 31, 2021; and
2.10NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Minnesota that it
2.11congratulates Bloomington Police Chief Jeff Potts on nearly three decades of outstanding service
2.12to his community and state, and wishes him well in his future plans.
2.13BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is directed to prepare an
2.14enrolled copy of this resolution, to be authenticated by the Secretary's signature and that of the
2.15Chair of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and transmit it to Bloomington Police
2.16Chief Jeff Potts.

Cal R. LudemanSecretary of the Senate

Paul E. GazelkaChair, Senate Committee onRules and Administration

Melisa FranzenState Senator, District 49