FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 14, 2022
Contact:
Kamal Baker
763-381-1335
kamal.baker@ci.stpaul.mn.us
Mayor Carter Appoints Brooke Blakey As Director
of New Saint Paul Office of Neighborhood Safety
Brooke Blakey to Lead New Office Focused on Advancing Saint Paul’s
Community-First Public Safety Framework
SAINT PAUL, MN - Today, Mayor Carter announced the appointment of Brooke Blakey as the director of Saint Paul’s new Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS). Blakey’s appointment to the new office marks the next phase of the City’s ongoing Community-First Public Safety efforts, focused on realizing the most comprehensive, coordinated and data-driven approach to public safety Saint Paul has ever endeavored.
“Advancing our Community-First framework through our new Office of Neighborhood Safety is paramount to the future of our city,” said Mayor Carter. “Brooke Blakey’s career of public service will be invaluable as she engages in this new role and supports our work to realize safer outcomes in every neighborhood.”
“As a lifelong Saint Paulite, it is an honor to serve our community in this new role as director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety,” said Blakey. “I look forward to engaging with members of our community and Community-First partners, as we expand and advance our city’s approach to neighborhood safety.”
As director of ONS, Blakey will work with an array of City Departments, Community-First partners, community leaders, and residents to advance the City’s Community-First Public Safety Framework, support the creation of a permanent Community-First Public Safety Commission, and engage residents and system stakeholders to further identify and expand neighborhood safety strategies. Blakey will join the City as Director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety on February 28.
ABOUT BROOKE BLAKEY
Brooke Blakey joins the City of Saint Paul as director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety from Metro Transit, where she has served as Chief of Staff to Metro Transit Chief of Police Eddie Frizell. In this role, she has overseen operations, investigations, administration and community outreach and engagement, along with ushering forward the development of the Metro Transit Police Department’s Homeless Action Team (HAT).
Prior to joining Metro Transit, she served in the Ramsey County Public Defender's Office and the Minnesota State Fair Police Department, holding an array of positions, including the Department’s Public Information Officer.
Blakey has an Undergraduate degree in Child Psychology and Criminology from the University of Minnesota, a Post Bachelor's degree in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a Master of Science in Forensic Science with an emphasis on Criminal Investigation from National University.
She is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command #484 and has advanced certifications from the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI-LEEDA), and Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (MN BCA).
ABOUT THE OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY
The launch of the Office of Neighborhood Safety reflects the continued expansion of Mayor Carter’s Community-First Public Safety Framework which incorporates balanced investments in policing and an array of strategies focused on addressing the root causes of crime in pursuit of the most comprehensive, coordinated and data-driven approach to public safety Saint Paul has ever endeavored.
The Office of Neighborhood Safety will lead the continued advancement of the framework through the coordination of Community-First investments, including violence prevention strategies and alternative response, in close collaboration with our Department of Safety and Inspections, Saint Paul Police Department, Saint Paul Fire Department, and other Community-First Public Safety partners.
The Office will support the creation of a permanent Community-First Public Safety Commission which will engage community residents, local stakeholders, and public safety representatives to inform strategy development, as well as directing resources to impacted communities.
The Office of Neighborhood Safety will also engage in research, data collection and analysis through participatory methods that engage residents and system stakeholders in the co-development of neighborhood assessments, alongside interventions that are responsive to the needs of our neighbors.
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