In a unanimous decision on Monday, the Minneapolis City Council endorsed a consent decree agreement with the Department of Justice under the Biden-Harris administration.
This agreement outlines a series of reforms that the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) must implement over the next four years, a response to the tragic death of George Floyd.
As reported by The Post Millennial, the City Council deliberated over the decree in a private session that lasted approximately seven hours, culminating in a 12-0 vote in favor of the agreement. The comprehensive 170-page document delineates the changes that the MPD must undertake under the watchful eye of a federal judge. This decree was a direct result of the Department of Justice's 2023 report that highlighted systemic issues within the city's police department.
The Department of Justice underscored that the decree's stipulations "focus on preventing excessive force; stopping racially discriminatory policing; improving officers interactions with youth; protecting the publics First Amendment rights; preventing discrimination against people with behavioral health disabilities; promoting well-being of officers and employees; and enhancing officers supervision and accountability."
The MPD, under the decree, is obligated to adopt reforms that prioritize 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 adopt use of force policies, training, and review systems that provide sufficient guidance and develop necessary skills."
The decree further mandates the MPD to enforce the law "fairly and impartially, providing equal protection of the law for all people in Minneapolis and barring racial discrimination in enforcement," "Respect the First Amendment rights of all persons," and "maintain an emergency response system that respects the rights of people with behavioral health disabilities."
The MPD is also expected to thoroughly investigate all allegations of employee misconduct and "hold officers who commit misconduct accountable pursuant to a disciplinary system that is fair, consistent, and provides due process." The decree also stipulates that the MPD must interact with youth in a manner that is "developmentally appropriate, age-appropriate, and trauma-informed" and "provide confidential mental health wellness services to all MPD officers and other groups of public safety personnel."
The decree asserts that compliance will lead to its termination and the dismissal of the complaint filed by the US, which alleges that the city and the MPD "are engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the First and Fourth Amendments to the United States Constitution."
Attorney General Merrick Garland commented, "This agreement places the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department on a path toward achieving the significant reforms, lawful policing, and appropriate emergency response services that the residents of Minneapolis deserve. As I said last summer when I announced the findings of this investigation George Floyd should be alive today. This agreement is an important step toward ensuring that meaningful, durable reform is achieved in Minneapolis."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, while acknowledging the importance of the agreement, cautioned, "Its a good agreement, and at the same time, I want to be honest with every resident throughout our city: It is not a panacea. There arent any shortcuts, and success is not guaranteed." This statement underscores the complexity of the task at hand, reminding us that while the decree is a significant step, the road to meaningful reform is long and fraught with challenges.
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