Community group calls for pause on Minneapolis Police settlement agreement
MINNEAPOLIS – A group of concerned citizens is calling for a pause in the implementation of the settlement agreement between the city of Minneapolis and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR).
Members of the Unity Community Mediation Team (UCMT) believe the city and MPD did not, and do not, agree with the findings. They also say signing the agreement gives up all rights to sue police for past and future wrongdoings.
"We will ask for a halt on this consent decree until community members actually get a change to get their full input into it," said A.J. Flowers Jr.
MDHR's probe into past practices of MPD proved the department engaged in racially-biased policing. The agreement signed Friday presents a path forward in transforming the department.
"This settlement agreement states the city and Minneapolis Police Department did not and do not admit or agree with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights' findings," said Rev. Ian Bethel. "That's neither transparency, it's not accountability, nor the consequences that this community demands."
UCMT members call the agreement totally inadequate.
"Because the police within that document on the release of claims gets to ensure that their wrongdoings that they've done, that they've done to us, that they've done to the community, they don't have to admit to that fault," Flowers said.
They are referring to the release of claims statements in the agreement, one City Attorney Krystyn Anderson says is standard.
"The legal agreement…we don't have to admit to all findings, and in fact it's a typical term of a settlement agreement that there is not an admission of liability," Anderson said.
"I ask our community to ask those very questions. Go and look at the release of claims. Look at what they are asking us to give up as community members who suffered this abuse, and who suffered this pain," Flowers said.
For now, there are more questions than answers, and until they have what they need, they want the implementation of this agreement put on hold.
"This settlement agreement slams the door in the face of our communities for true justice," said Rachel Thunder. "And our communities will not allow avenues of true justice to be taken away."
UCMT reached out to Mayor Jacob Frey and the Minneapolis City Council to ask for a halt to implementation. WCCO has not heard if the city plans to make any changes.