Report on Minneapolis Police Department details recommendations for reform over next 4 years
MINNEAPOLIS — A new report details recommendations for the city to implement court-ordered reform aimed at the Minneapolis Police Department's culture, policies and training.
This follows scathing state and federal investigations after the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Over the last few months, an independent group called Effective Law Enforcement for All put together a four-year reform plan. The group has monitored the New Orleans Police Department for more than a decade.
Year one of the plan includes reviewing and updating policies for body-worn and in-car cameras, use of force, traffic stops and de-escalation techniques.
Until recently, the report says, the Minneapolis Police Department did not evaluate whether body-worn cameras were being muted or deactivated during calls for service or if the camera activations were occurring in a timely manner. The plan hopes to address those issues through updated policy.
By the end of the second year of the plan, the audit team plans to use the body camera footage to evaluate compliance with policies related to professionalism, stops, searches, citations, arrests and use of force.
The plan also includes an accountability system to make sure officers are following those updated standards and a focus on officer support and wellness.
The report details that a number of improvements could be made to better working conditions for officers, some of which "will require significant time and substantial financial investment." Others could be addressed quickly and at a low cost, such as improvements to cot rooms, de-escalation spaces, break rooms, spaces for nursing mothers and concerns about facility cleanliness.
The monitoring team will hold audits to check compliance and get feedback from members of the Minneapolis Police Department and the community.
The implementation of the plan could cost up to $6 million for the target timeframe of four years.