Bloomington Police Department Chief Booker Hodges has worked as a school resource officer, patrol deputy, narcotics detective, SWAT operator, patrol overnight watch commander, inspector, undersheriff, acting chief deputy, an assistant public safety commissioner and now chief of police.
Prior to joining the Bloomington Police Department in April of 2022, he served with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the Lake Police Department and the Ramsey and Dakota County Sheriff’s Office. He has led agencies ranging from 40 to 1,500 staff members.
Chief Hodges is the only active police officer in the history of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to serve as a branch president. During his five-year tenure as president of the Minneapolis NAACP, Chief Hodges was responsible for a landmark agreement to improve working conditions for employees of color and to diversify the Minneapolis Park Board. During his time with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Chief Hodges was responsible for the hiring that led to the Ramsey County jail becoming the first minority-majority staffed correctional facility in the State of Minnesota. Chief Hodges has been an unconscious bias instructor for 22 years and is a certified human resource manager.
Chief Hodges writes a column and is a member of the editorial board for Police1.com, the nation’s largest police news website. Chief Hodges earned a doctorate degree in public administration from Hamline University, a master’s degree from Saint Mary’s University, and a bachelor’s degree from Florida Southern College. Chief Hodges’ experience in community relations and law enforcement is unique and has given him a dual perspective on current events surrounding the law enforcement profession. Chief Hodges is also an adjunct professor at Northwestern University in Saint Paul and president of the Northstar Chapter of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE). In addition, he currently serves as the elected National Parliamentarian for NOBLE.
