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Dear neighbor,
I wanted to send you an update on the U.S. Department of Justice Consent Decree Agreement that will mandate needed changes to the Minneapolis Police Department.
This morning, the Minneapolis City Council held a special meeting and went into closed session for nearly seven hours to receive a briefing on a tentative agreement to reform the police department under a federal consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The City Council, myself included, voted 12-0 to enter into that federal consent decree with the United States Department of Justice. The court enforceable agreement outlines policy, resource, and training requirements that will help guide the City’s and Minneapolis Police Department’s reform efforts moving forward.
The inaction, minimal police reform and lack of accountability makes this consent decree more important than ever. We cannot talk about moving forward without acknowledging our past and the real experiences of police brutality that led to this moment. I will continue to believe the victims of police brutality.
As the Chair of the Public Health and Safety Committee, you have my commitment to use the City Council’s oversight tools to ensure we hold the Mayor’s Administration accountable to compliance and to push for reform beyond the consent decrees. Unfortunately, the history of police misconduct means that Minneapolis will become the first city in the nation that is governed by both State and Federal mandates for its police department.
In June 2023, the United States Department of Justice announced that the Minneapolis Police Department and the City of Minneapolis engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct in violation of the U.S. Constitution and federal law. That Minneapolis police routinely violated the First and Fourth Amendments and was also found to have violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the American Disabilities Act, and the 1968 Safe Streets Act.
Specifically, the United States Department of Justice found that the Minneapolis Police Department:
- Uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and unreasonable use of tasers
- Unlawfully discriminates against Black people and Native American people in its enforcement activities, including the use of force following stops
- Violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech
- Along with the city, it discriminates against people with behavioral health disabilities when responding to calls for assistance.
- The Department also identified and concluded that persistent deficiencies in policy, training, supervision, and accountability contribute to the unlawful conduct.
As a reminder, this investigation began after the Minneapolis Police Department murdered George Floyd in Powderhorn which ignited a worldwide racial reckoning and mounted calls to reform and overhaul policing.
I’ve heard loud and clear from many of you on the impact that police violence has had on your trust with the government and police. And the need to ensure that you feel safe by those who are sworn to protect and serve. I am committed to working on that with all of you.
On January 5, 2025, I received my personal electronic copy of the consent decree. I spent my time reading it so I could understand what was in this agreement.
Highlights from the consent decree:
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Community engagement: MPD operational strategies to address crime will be developed to further emphasize collaboration between police and the community.
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Use of force review: MPD will institute both a robust Force Investigation Team to review certain uses of reportable force and a Force Review Board to provide executive review of certain use of force incidents.
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First Amendment: The MPD will adopt, train on, and sustain policies that facilitate the exercise of First Amendment rights of community members and journalists while enabling MPD to maintain public safety and order.
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Behavioral health response: The City will continue to advance and build on its behavioral crisis response with additional training, policies, protocols, review, and coordination.
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Supervision: Changes to supervision requirements will facilitate more officer accountability and evaluation opportunities.
The federal consent decree will be in effect at the same time as a similar settlement agreement with the State of Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The reforms outlined in both agreements are expected to take several years to fully implement.
Learn more about the federal consent decree on the City’s website.
Read the consent decree here.
Sincerely,
Jason Chavez |
