Jacob Frey was the mayor of Minneapolis during the 2020 uprising after the police murder of George Floyd. But Frey’s abject failures as a public servant start well before then.

When Frey entered office, Minneapolis was still reeling from the execution of Jamar Clark by the MPD. Frey did nothing. Shortly after, the MPD killed Thurman Blevins by shooting him in the back. There was no justification for this murder. Frey did nothing. The city was boiling with outrage, and anyone with the slightest clue knew the MPD were violent, racist, and out of control. Had Frey demanded even nominal accountability for the MPD then, George Floyd would likely still be alive.

Although Frey eventually realized the cops who killed George Floyd needed to be fired and charged, even after seeing the horrific video of Officer Chauvin crushing the life out of Floyd, Frey initially followed the usual police-apologist play book, trying to blame the victim and excuse the officers.

During the uprising that followed, MPD officers targeted reporters and medics, attacked non-protester civilians, and intentionally misused “rubber bullets” by shooting them directly at people’s heads - leading to blindness and death. ”Rubber bullets” are rubber encased shells shot from a 40mm grenade launcher. Frey did not seek accountability for these actions.

And Frey appeared to a crowd of protesters demanding police accountability wearing an “I can’t breath” mask despite refusing to support substantive change to the corrupt and violent MPD,

Another Black man, Amir Locke, would still be alive if Frey wasn’t a liar and a patsy for the cops. Frey told the public that he had banned no-knock warrants. He didn’t. The next year a sloppy and aggressive execution of a no-knock warrant by MPD led to the cops killing Amir Locke.

Winston Smith, Dolal Idd, and Tekle Sunberg are more Black men gunned down needlessly by police in Minneapolis since the killing of George Floyd.

Despite all this, Frey has fought against any effort to bring police accountability to Minneapolis. A new civilian police review board was created. It has no authority to discipline officers, and has been repeatedly prevented from even beginning to investigate incidents. Frey spent $300,000 on a new administrator above the police department to improve accountability and community relations, then he hired someone who basically spent their tenure yelling at residents to “get over it” on Twitter.

Not satisfied with merely having these men’s deaths on his hands, Frey regularly has the MPD clear unhoused encampments in sub-zero weather when there are not adequate shelter options. He gets in front of the cameras and talks about clearing the encampments for “safety” then has the MPD seize and destroy what little shelter the residents have. The MPD is notoriously violent when clearing encampments. Despite public outrage over this practice and a city council attempt to ban razing encampments in the dead of winter, Frey insists on continuing the practice.

Another way Frey finds to bring more violence to communities is through the use of “violence interrupters” and community defense groups. While in theory, these groups may reduce interactions with violent and heavily armed cops, these groups become a police force of their own, but with even less accountability. These groups are regularly used to harass and assault protesters and unhoused people.

The one group that Frey wishes no harm to, is wealthy developers. There has never been a big-money development Frey didn’t like. Frey promotes uncontrolled gentrification that destroys neighborhoods and communities.

Frey is also a Zionist apologist for genocide who responded to the Minneapolis city council passing a resolution against the genocide in Palestine by saying “Now I know how Black men feel”. I can only assume, he must have meant the Black men he hasn’t gotten around to having killed by the MPD yet.

Frey is a transplant from Virginia. He is a lawyer and professional runner - the latter is a skill he continues to use often when confronted by his constituents, facts, or human decency. He ran for city council and mayor on a platform that included affordable housing and improved city services, but over and over, Frey has demonstrated he is only there to be a patsy for rich white people and violent policing.

Unfortunately, Frey’s eagerness to serve wealth and whiteness while wearing a thin veneer of progressivism will likely mean you will see more of him in higher offices. Expect to see him move on to be governor or senator or some other office where his willingness to serve only money and power will ensure his future, but certainly not the futures of those he represents.