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Summary: The City Council approved a consent decree with the federal Department of Justice.
Background: In 2023, the Department of Justice published a findings report stating they have reasonable cause to believe that the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law in the following ways:
- MPD uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and other types of force.
- MPD unlawfully discriminates against Black and Native American people in its enforcement activities.
- MPD violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech.
- MPD and the City discriminate against people with behavioral health disabilities when responding to calls for assistance.
The city has been in negotiations with the Department of Justice in an attempt to reach a negotiated settlement. In the last few months, our city and federal negotiators worked hard to reach an agreement that could be signed into law before the Trump administration takes office. On Monday, Council was briefed on the agreement and voted unanimously to approve it.
While having a federal consent decree signed and in place is valuable to police reform efforts, we need to be sober about the fact that it will take local political will to hold the city and the Frey administration accountable to implementing and enforcing the terms of the consent decree. You can read more about the context of the consent decree and its role in police accountability in the update I shared earlier this week.
Here are a few highlights from the federal consent decree:
- MPD officers will use de-escalation to minimize the need to use force and increase the likelihood of voluntary compliance; resolve incidents without force where possible; use force proportional to the threat; and MPD will enhance use-of-force policies, training, and review systems.
- The City and MPD will investigate allegations of officer misconduct fully, fairly, and efficiently, and hold officers who commit misconduct accountable pursuant to a system that is fair and consistent.
- MPD must respect the exercise of First Amendment rights while protecting public order and public safety.
- The City and MPD will maintain an emergency response system that serves people with behavioral health needs.
- The City will provide readily accessible confidential counseling and mental health wellness services to MPD officers.
- MPD officers must approach interactions with youth in a manner that is developmentally-appropriate, age-appropriate, and trauma-informed.
- MPD must not allow officers to serve as Field Training Officers if they are under investigation for a serious policy violation.
- MPD must significantly increase regulation and limitations on off-duty work.
- The city must consider alternative approaches, including alternatives to law enforcement, that enhances public safety while reducing racial disparities.
You can read the full consent decree here. Many of the terms of the consent decree are things that residents, community leaders, and Council Members have been urging the Mayor to take action on for years. It is affirming to see these requirements reflected as mandates in the consent decree, but I want to emphasize that this consent decree will not be effective without intense scrutiny and accountability by the public.
At the end of last year, I authored a legislative directive requesting a presentation to help ensure that Council and the public has a full understanding of how the consent decrees will be implemented and evaluated. The presentation will take place this coming Tuesday, January 14th at 1:30pm at the Council Chambers and livestreamed on the city’s youtube channel.
The United States Department of Justice will also be holding an online community meeting on the evening of January 14. Members of the public are encouraged to attend to learn more about the consent decree.
Justice Department community meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14 Sign up for the link.
Key votes: Council voted 12-0 to approve the federal consent decree. Council Member Rainville was absent. There will be a presentation by City Staff on consent decree implementation on Tuesday, January 14th at 1:30pm at Council Chambers and livestreamed. There will be a community meeting hosted by the Justice Department on Tuesday, January 14th at 7pm online.
Summary: Council is accepting public testimony on fees for off-duty police work. You can testify in person on January 22nd at 1:30pm, or submit testimony in writing any time to CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov.
Background: Minneapolis Police officers are allowed to work “off-duty,” meaning they take private security jobs for which they are paid directly by private entities, but use city weapons and cars, wear city uniforms, and carry city liability while doing so. Minneapolis’ off-duty system has been recognized as fundamentally inequitable by the US Department of Justice.
Due to a mid-1990s court case, Minneapolis must allow MPD to do off-duty work. Despite years of persistent complaints and public stories of the abuse of this system, no steps have been taken by city leaders to challenge the previous precedent set in the 90s. The city has always had the legal ability to recoup the costs associated with off-duty work, but there has been a lack of political will to do so. I have been working for several years to rein in and regulate MPD off-duty work. This work has been delayed by the Frey administration refusing to make it a priority and collaborate with my office on a policy. According to MPD’s records, if the city had implemented a fee on off-duty use of squad cars, the city could have recouped up to $1.4 million dollars in 2024.
Last fall, I and Council President Payne authored a staff direction to the City Attorneys to draft an ordinance that would give the city the authority to recoup fees on off-duty work. This is the first step that is required before fees can be implemented. That ordinance will be presented by the City Attorneys and be open for a public hearing on January 22nd, after which the Public Health and Safety Committee will vote to recommend the ordinance to the full Council for a vote on January 27th.
Council President Payne and I also authored a direction to the Frey administration to conduct a fee study to ensure that the fees on off-duty recoup the cost of public resources being used for personal gain for individual officers. This will be presented to Council by May 1. After this, I look forward to moving quickly to finally implement fees on off-duty work and ensure that more taxpayer dollars are not being used to subsidize private gain.
On Monday, the city entered into a federal consent decree with the Department of Justice, which includes a specific requirement that the city significantly regulate off-duty work. The consent decree reaffirms what community members and some members of Council have been saying for years, that MPD’s current off-duty system is completely broken, inequitable, and harming citywide public safety efforts.
Read more on MPD off-duty work’s inequitable impacts and the efforts I am leading with Council President Payne to rein in off-duty.
Key votes: The Public Health and Safety Committee voted to set a public hearing on the off-duty fees ordinance for January 22nd. You can testify in person on the 22nd at 1:30pm or submit comment in writing any time to CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov. Council will vote on the ordinance on January 27th.
Summary: The Department of Neighborhood Safety (NSD) presented on the methodologies they use to deploy violence prevention professionals across the city.
Background: In November, Council Member Cashman and I authored a legislative directive requesting a detailed breakdown of how the Neighborhood Safety Department (NSD) uses crime and safety data to determine when and where to assign various teams of violence prevention professionals, the frequency of data evaluation to adjust assignments, the metrics used to assess efficacy, and other operational norms that ensure standardized and effective use of resources.
Unfortunately, the presentation did not meet expectations. The directive requested specific quantitative data, but the presentation was devoid of critical information such as the numbers of violence prevention referrals, maps showing where violence prevention providers are focusing, clear definitions on what constitutes an “uptick” in violence that merits additional resources, etc.
It was clear from the presentation that the lack of serious and professional management within NSD continues to hinder efforts for a comprehensive public safety system. NSD leadership is still not able to explain how they are using data to inform deployment of resources, nor can they present data on the impacts of those resources.
The consequence of the lack of data was illustrated at the end of last year when several Council Members had to make geographical earmarks within the NSD budget because no information was being presented nor disseminated on how and why resources were being deployed out of this department. With no evidence that the department is distributing resources in a fair and equitable way, or even in a way that is responsive to trends, Council Members are forced to try and respond to public safety issues within their wards through budget allocations.
I want to be clear that the violence prevention model nationally does include this kind of rigorous, data-driven methodology. The Public Health and Safety Committee has spent nearly two years trying to understand why OCS and NSD leadership is either unable or unwilling to adhere to those standards to ensure we’re delivering the highest quality of violence prevention services to residents.
I and some of my colleagues spent a significant portion of last year attempting to use our oversight authority to correct and improve the poor functioning within NSD. In April of 2024, I sent a memo to my colleagues outlining a timeline of my concerns about mismanagement of NSD. I and several of my colleagues formally requested an audit of NSD to investigate possible fraud, waste, or abuse. I and Council President Payne authored a legislative directive requesting updates on improvements in department management and functioning. Council Members met repeatedly with the director of NSD and the Commission of Community Safety and we took many corrective actions.
Council has given NSD every possible resource to improve, and I was sincerely hoping to see that reflected in their presentation, but unfortunately, I did not. I will be having serious conversations with the Office of Community Safety leadership about what options we have to protect, preserve, and expand these critical safety services in 2025.
Key votes: No votes taken.
Background: Council received a presentation on the data request process.
Summary: As a government body, the City of Minneapolis is subject to government data practices laws and the public can submit requests for public data. I’ve received a number of questions about the data request process and the fulfillment of these requests from constituents, members of the media, and government transparency advocates. In order to ensure there is full understanding of the city’s data request process, I authored a staff direction for the Records and Information Management team in the Clerk’s Office to present to committee.
The presentation was extremely thorough and is a valuable resource for all those interested in matters related to government transparency. One key takeaway is that the volume of public data requests has increased about 10% each year for the last several years. It’s great to see increased public attention and curiosity about the working of local government and I appreciate the leadership and staff of Records Information and Management for working to fulfill these requests in an accurate, efficient, and equitable way. I look forward to supporting the expansion of this important element of government transparency.
Key votes: No votes taken.
The minimum wage across the city of Minneapolis is now $15.97 for all businesses. Coverage depends on the physical location (in the City of Minneapolis) of the employee while the employee is performing work, regardless of the employee’s age or training. Workers who make minimum wage or near minimum wage should review their paychecks to ensure the increase is reflected in all hours worked starting January 1, 2025. Read more about City of Minneapolis labor standards.
Minneapolis has a higher minimum wage than the State of Minnesota due to mass community and labor organizing that took place across the city and across the country about a decade ago. The Fight for 15 was a nationwide movement for all workers to be paid at least $15/hour. Minneapolis was the first city in the Midwest to pass such a policy, despite many attempts by big business and City Hall to deflect, delay, and undermine the policy.
A $15 minimum used to be talked about as something outlandish and impossible. Workers’ persistence over several years of campaigning and advocacy changed the political terrain. That said, even a minimum wage of $15.97 isn’t a living wage given the high costs of rent, child care, and basic expenses. It will take continued mass movements of residents organizing for rent control and renters’ rights, affordable childcare, and workers’ rights and protections to make our city affordable and welcoming for all working class residents. I look forward to continuing to stand in solidarity with these movements.
On Nov. 1, 2024, Xcel Energy submitted a two-year proposal to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to increase electricity rates on customers in 2025 and 2026. The requested 2025 increase is approximately 9.6%, and an additional 3.6% in 2026. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) says a final decision on the rate increase will be made on or before July 31, 2026. The PUC is accepting public comment on these potential increased rates. You can find more information on how to submit public comments here.
I attended the University’s monthly safety meeting where key stakeholders and leaders were able to learn and share updates on safety matters related to students and the University community. Some key updates I shared were Ward 2’s accomplishments in advancing our University/Dinkytown safety priorities in the 2025 budget, including new investments in improved pedestrian-level lighting in the Dinkytown/Marcy Holmes area and suicide prevention protections for the 10th Avenue Bridge and Bridge #9, as well as intergovernmental support for those same protection measures to be installed along the Washington Ave Bridge. My office also led the Council in investing in the hiring of 5 additional Civilian Investigators which will help the Minneapolis Police Department investigate, clear and close their backlog of over 5,000 cases, especially in priority areas like homicides, domestic cases, crimes against children, and sex crimes.
One key update I learned at this meeting is that University Security will now be handling the U’s Safety Ambassador program along with its Gopher Chauffeur services.
Seward Neighborhood Group’s Environment Committee is hosting a neighborhood meeting at Matthews Park on “The Case for Removing I-94” on Thursday, January 23rd at 7:00 PM. Removing the interstate is a possibility that arose through MnDOT’s Rethinking I-94 project. Recently, news broke that the agency plans to recommend eliminating the alternatives that would have allowed for removing the interstate from further consideration, despite Minneapolis City Council’s recent unanimously-approved resolution supporting “a wide variety of highway removal options.” The possibility of removing the interstate has prompted lots of excitement and support from residents who are concerned about the environmental impacts of the interstate, but it has also generated many questions and concerns. What would go in its place? Can traffic be reduced? Would such a change improve health in our community? Join us to learn more about this proposal, and bring your own questions to ask!
The meeting will include a panel with representatives from Our Streets, Sustain St. Paul, and Twin Cities DSA, followed by a Q&A discussion. Refreshments will be available beginning at 6:45 PM. Registration is requested but not required, and all Seward residents are encouraged to attend. Childcare and translators are available to attendees who register at least one week prior to the event. A Zoom link is available for those who are unable to attend in person but would like to listen to the event. Register here!
Applications are open now for public health internships with the City and Step Up internships.
Public Health Pathways Program internships
The City’s public health internship program provides hands-on experience, where students can gain real-world experience in public health, build a resume and develop a professional network. This cohort is for undergraduate and graduate students who are in school or graduated between February 2024 and January 2025. The internship runs from the end of January through May.
Apply by Jan. 5 on the City website.
Step Up internships
For more than 20 years, the City’s Step Up program has provided summer employment for Minneapolis residents 14-21. Youths are placed in internships at public, private, nonprofit and community organizations.
Applications for next summer are open until Feb. 14.
The City's Partnership Engagement Fund is now open for applications. Community-based organizations, groups and individuals can apply for funding for small-scale, meaningful projects to make Minneapolis communities more socially connected, healthy and safe. Begin the process by filling out the required interest form and then starting your application. View the full timeline here.
An Important Crime Prevention Tip from the Minneapolis Police Department.
During the colder months, car thieves take advantage of residents who leave their vehicles running unattended. The temptation to start the car and let it warm up while you stay warm inside or leaving it running while doing a short errand could be a very costly mistake! Even if you lock the doors, it only takes seconds to break a window or jimmy a lock. It is against City ordinance to leave your key in the ignition while you are not in your vehicle. (Minneapolis City Ordinance 478.160, Open ignition—a petty misdemeanor)
Officers can issue citations where vehicles are running with no driver present. In fact, if your car is reported stolen and your keys were in it, it may also invalidate your insurance coverage.
It is legal to use a remote start because your key is not in the ignition and the vehicle cannot be moved.
Contact Ward 2
Visit: minneapolismn.gov/ward2
Email: ward2@minneapolismn.gov
Phone: 612-673-2202
We've moved while work is being done in City Hall. Our office is in:
Room 100, Public Service Center
250 South 4th St.
Get directions
For reasonable accommodations or alternative format please contact 311. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users call 612-263-6850. Para ayuda, llame al 311. Rau kev pab, hu 311. Hadii aad caawimaad u baahantahay, wac 311. |
