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Dear neighbor,
Thank you for your continued push for police accountability. I wanted to share an update regarding the Minneapolis Police Department hiring practices and reform. Police accountability is public safety. It is important that residents feel safe by those who are sworn to protect and serve them. It is also important that residents receive top-notch public services, which includes an accountable police department. The public should be aware of changes that have been made to improve the city's hiring practices to keep people safe and improve basic city services.
Throughout my time as your City Council member, I've heard from many of you regarding the needed changes to hiring practices to ensure we are hiring the best and brightest MPD can offer. On July 31, I met with Chief O’Hara regarding changes and updates made to the MPD Candidate Investigations Unit hiring process since July 2023, focusing on several key areas. I wanted to share that information with you as I know police accountability and oversight is important to you. Here is an update on changes that have been, or will be, made:
Oversight and Accountability: Background Unit was renamed Candidate Investigations Unit (CIU) and restructured under the Internal Affairs Division. A Police Lieutenant position was added to the CIU for additional oversight.
- A multi-level review process for background investigative files and summaries was implemented:
- The Sergeant reviews and signs off.
- The Lieutenant reviews and signs off.
- The Commander of the Internal Affairs Division reviews and signs off.
- Approval forms are retained with the investigative file according to the data practices retention schedule.
- MPD Human Resources has built in an additional week in hiring timelines, prior to the selection panel, for the panelists to review the completed background summaries.
- The Candidate Roundtable Selection Panel process recently returned to in-person to enhance discussion and accountability.
- In-person meetings between the CIU Lieutenant and the designated hiring authority, the Assistant Chief, were established for a more in-depth review of candidate summaries before final hiring decisions.
Process Improvement: Dialogue was opened with the Minneapolis City Attorney's Office to refine criteria and standard operating procedures. A draft of the revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) manual was submitted in October 2023 for review.
- The electronic case management log was updated to track key elements of each candidate's background investigation. Investigators were trained to note comments and statuses, and the log is continuously reviewed by the Sergeant and Lieutenant.
- Recently transitioned from physical to electronic investigative files, currently using a shared drive (M: drive), with a promise of a future SharePoint site from the IT department. This transition allows real-time access to files and improves file sharing and feedback efficiency.
- A proposal for a proprietary background investigation software system was recently submitted, aiming to enhance quality assurance and efficiency.
Training:
- In October 2023, CIU investigators attended a two-day course on social media and open-source investigations to better query candidates’ social media activity and internet presence. This is particularly important in the cases of lateral transfer police officer candidates.
Continuous Improvement:
- The unit is continually assessing and looking for ways to improve its processes. Unit supervisors have improved dialogue and process review discussions with investigators.
Staffing Adaptations:
- The unit is adapting to low investigative staffing levels. We are focusing on processes that increase efficiency and accountability without sacrificing quality and attention to detail.
I will be working with Chief O’Hara and the Office of Community Safety on a presentation to update the public on these changes. I think these changes are a great step forward in ensuring that we hire good police officers, and I am glad steps are being taken to address community concerns. Additionally, I think there are areas where additional guardrails can be added, such as adding a community voice, and adding inspectors and the chief or his designee to the reviewing component and signing off of the multi-level review process.
Lastly, on July 17, Council Member Chowdhury and I sent a letter to Mayor Frey regarding the use of coaching and “less lethal” weapons. We will be meeting with the Mayor soon in hopes that he makes changes to the policy manual.
Here are the asks we included in the letter:
I remain hopeful that these meetings will lead to deep structural changes.
Sincerely,
Jason Chavez |
