On Mon., Feb. 26, the 13th Ward Office hosted approximately 65 southwest residents at Pershing Park to meet Police Chief Medaria Arradondo and 5th Precinct Inspector Kathy Waite. The meeting, which was co-hosted by the Fulton Neighborhood Association, allowed neighbors a platform to ask questions, make comments and speak with leaders of the Minneapolis Police Department one-on-one.

Several topics were covered throughout the informal meeting, with most questions concerning the officer involved shooting in Fulton in July, 2017, building police-community trust, body-worn cameras and officer wellness.

Chief Arradondo spoke at length about the significant impact an officer involved shooting has on a community. He said he understands the frustrations of the neighborhood when it comes to the event itself and the process that has unfolded since then. Their goal, he stated, is to make certain that justice is sought in the case and that that pursuit is not infringed upon in any way. While they are also frustrated at the lack of information and length of the investigation, they fully support allowing the system to play out in a manner pursuant to justice and protecting the civil rights of all parties. He admitted that there will be tough times ahead as the community grapples with healing, but he has promised to focus additional efforts on accountability and procedural justice to aide in that healing.

Inspector Waite highlighted the effect that policing has on officer wellness. She spoke about the recent hiring of a new firm that will take over conducting pre-employment screenings for all officers. These screenings not only focus on physical and emotional health, but have also been tasked with including implicit bias and cultural competency as main factors as well.

Overall these are just some of the culture changes that are taking place within the MPD. Both Inspector Waite and Chief Arradondo spoke about how they are leading the charge on shifting the culture of the MPD towards a more mental health friendly culture, including a supportive environment for officers who experience trauma in their everyday work.

On Tuesday, February 20, the 13th Ward Office, in partnership with the Armatage Neighborhood Association, hosted a forum on the topic of pedestrian safety at Armatage Park. I, along with City Attorney Susan Segal, Director of Public Works Robin Hutcheson, 5th Precinct Inspector Kathy Waite, and several employees from the department of Public Works and the MPD came together to answer questions, addressed concerns related to public safety and spoke on the Vision Zero initiative to eliminate pedestrian injuries and deaths.

Minneapolis leadership covered topics including the pedestrian fatality at 54th and Penn on February 1st, snow plowing, crosswalks, visible signage, parking, lighting and other items related to safety. In addition to answering questions, I gathered this panel an opportunity to hear firsthand the concerns of my constituents. Some of those included increasing enforcement of traffic laws, improved plowing of city streets and reducing speed limits. These concerns and comments not only made it to several department heads, but will guide the Vision Zero initiative of the city.

Vision Zero is a program being coordinated by the city with the goal of eliminating fatalities and serious injuries from crashes on city streets by the year 2027. Director of Public Works, Robin Hutcheson, who is tasked with this program, told attendees that her office is working on a scope of work that will help prepare the Vision Zero action plan. Similar plans are being prepared or implemented in 30 to 40 cities in the U.S. while Minneapolis leaders are currently defining what it should look like here. Vision Zero has to include multiple city departments working together with residents who commute from all over Minneapolis. Strategies for reducing deaths and injuries included education and advocating for lower speed limits.