Group aims at reducing violent encounters between police, community
A community group held a hearing Monday following a series of listening sessions.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - A work group is studying deadly force encounters between Minnesota police and communities statewide. After wrapping up their community outreach, the group held a hearing Monday in Brooklyn Park.
The group is focusing on how to reduce violent interactions between police and those they are meant to serve. Participants also looked at how the process of bringing a deadly force encounter case to trial can affect that relationship.
Families of victims cited a lack of communication as a persistent problem, while police said moving on as an officer is particularly difficult.
“It creates that PTSD. We talk about not just having good cops, but cops that are well and safe, and that are emotionally well. Deadly force encounters rob that of the officers just as it robs it from the community. We want to have both groups be safe and be well,” said John Harrington, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
The group also held other hearings with the State Senate, Cloquet and Mankato communities, as well as listening sessions in Bemidji, Worthington and south Minneapolis.
The group will now go into deliberations and create a list of recommendations, which could later influence policies and training methods.