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Gio Veliz

Gio Veliz Photo
Commander; 2020 NIJ LEADS Law Enforcement Officer
Minneapolis Police Department

Minneapolis, MN

Gio Veliz has served the citizens of Minneapolis since 1992 with a philosophy to improve community trust and police services. His prior assignments include administrative sergeant to the Chief, investigations, patrol and Director of Police Activities League.

He leads the Special Crimes Investigations Division and works in partnership with multiple stakeholders to develop recommendations to eliminate traffic fatalities, juvenile racial disparity as well as reduce the backlog of sexual assault kits.

He holds a BS from John Jay College, an MA in leadership from Saint Thomas University and is an PhD candidate at Hamline University. His doctoral research focuses on the intersection of police legitimacy and immigrant communities. Additionally, he is an alumni of the Northwestern Police Command School, an alumni of the Senior Executive in Local Government program at the Harvard Kennedy School and a 2016 Bush Fellowship recipient.

He is married and he and his wife enjoy walks with their dogs. He is grateful for his spouse’s reminders that his role as a public servant is not a job but an opportunity to serve the community. He will take this opportunity to lead research projects and implement best practices to enhance police services in Minneapolis.

Date Created: July 27, 2020