Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll on Chief Arradondo: ‘step up,’ or ‘step aside’

In a lengthy phone interview with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll said Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo needs to fight for more police officers on the street, or "step aside."

"The chief needs to communicate to city political leaders that more officers, not fewer, are needed," said Kroll. "If he cannot stand up to city leadership and communicate that then he needs to say he cannot do it anymore and step aside and get another job."

KSTP asked Kroll if he specifically meant Arrandondo should resign if he doesn’t challenge police defunding, in which he replied, "yes."

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey took to Twitter and responded to Kroll’s remarks about the Chief:

"Bob Kroll’s brazen attack on Chief Arradondo is just the latest evidence of his consistent effort to block change and undermine progress. I stand with Chief Arradondo. I stand with him in seeing through the deep structural change we need."

Major unions in Minnesota call for Lt. Bob Kroll to resign as president of police union

Minneapolis City Council member Cam Gordon said in an email to KSTP:

"I am not sure that Mr. Kroll has the most accurate or up-to-date information, or in-depth understanding, of the problems we are facing as a city."

Kroll also said Arradondo, nor city leadership, has yet indicated what will happen with the torched Third Precinct, or if there will be a new location in a different building.

"The officers from the Third Precinct are now working in the basement of the Minneapolis Convention Center," said Kroll. "And, those working conditions are terrible."

FULL INTERVIEW: Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll