New Park Police Chief Appointed
The following article by Jake Weyer and May Tobar appeared in the July 26, 2010 issue of the Southwest Journal:
NEW PARK POLICE CHIEF APPOINTED
In a sudden restructuring move less than a month after taking the reins of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Interim Superintendent David Fisher has opted for a new park police chief.
The Park Board announced in a brief statement July 19 that Fisher had appointed Lt. Linda Bergstrom to replace nine-year Chief Bradley Johnson. The reason for the move wasn’t clear, but Park Board General Manager Mike Schmidt said it was part of Fisher’s plan to reorganize the park system.
“I’m sure there were a lot of people who were surprised, but superintendent Fisher had talked about making some structural changes,” said Schmidt, who also serves in a superintendent-appointed position, along with about a dozen other employees.
He said Fisher was more comfortable with Bergstrom in the chief role, so he made the change. Fisher could not be reached before press time to comment on the decision.
“Some superintendents make changes that put people into places that they’re more comfortable with or fit within their idea of the structure of the organization,” Schmidt said.
Bergstrom started her law enforcement career with the Park Board in 1979 as a patrol agent, was promoted to park police officer in 1981, to sergeant eight years later and to lieutenant in 2006. She now oversees safety and security for a system that includes 182 park properties and draws roughly 18 million visitors each year.