Minneapolis leaders announce changes to MPD disciplinary process
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced changes to MPD's disciplinary process Tuesday. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis city leaders announced changes Tuesday to the Minneapolis Police Department’s disciplinary process designed to improve the likelihood that the police chief’s disciplinary decisions are upheld in arbitration.
Mayor Jacob Frey, Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, City Attorney Jim Rowader and Interim Civil Rights Director Frank Reed announce the changes at a 1:15 p.m. virtual meeting.
A key aspect of the new internal disciplinary processes and measures is the increased involvement of the City Attorney’s Office in police conduct investigations and the resulting disciplinary decisions.
The changes to MPD’s disciplinary process include:
- Embedding a City Attorney on the front-end of police misconduct investigations to increase investigation integrity by determining if areas of investigation should be further pursued, or analyzing available evidence relating to allegations of misconduct.
- Assigning a City Attorney to provide expert legal advice to the Chief at the time of disciplinary decisions, adding capacity and resources to receive up-to-date information and legal counsel.
- Placing staff from the City Attorney’s Office with the MPD training unit to review training materials prior to delivery, helping to ensure all trainings are consistent in fostering a culture of accountability and professionalism.