Evalulators lay out plan for Minneapolis PD reforms

By FOX 9 Staff
Published  September 16, 2024 5:56pm CDT
FOX 9

The Brief

    • The report outlines a four-year plan for the Minneapolis Police Department following an investigation that found a pattern of racial discrimination.
    • The plan is overseen by the independent evaluator, Effective Law Enforcement For All, which aims to guide and monitor the consent decree process for sustainable reform​.
    • In the first two years, efforts will focus on implementing changes such as updating body-worn camera policies, revamping accountability systems, enhancing officer wellness, and improving training.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A report released last week outlines the plan for policing reforms for the Minneapolis Police Department after an investigation in the wake of the killing of George Floyd found a pattern of racial discrimination by the department.

Background

In 2023, a court approved a consent decree order between the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the City of Minneapolis after an investigation following the murder of George Floyd. A consent decree is an agreement between two parties that is enforced by a court. In this case, the two parties are the state and the city.

The decree laid out the framework for a plan for the Minneapolis Police Department after an investigation found a "pattern or practice of race discrimination" within the department.

The consent decree laid out the goals for the department. The new progress report released last week looks at where things stand and outlines the path moving forward.

What's new?

On Friday, the independent evaluator (Effective Law Enforcement For All) was hired to oversee the consent decree process for Minneapolis released its plan to implement changes.

The report shows the goals for the next four years. The first two years will focus mostly on implementing changes and the second two years will focus mostly on evaluating the progress of the new programs and their effectiveness.

Year 1 (March 2024 to March 2025):

  • Review and update policies for body-worn cameras
  • Policy and training updates
  • Revamp the accountability system
  • Increase support for officers and officer wellness services
  • Brief supervisors on their new duties
  • Create a data systems plan and map of community resources

Year 2 (March 2025 to March 2026):

  • Complete policy changes
  • Enact data systems plan
  • Evaluate officer wellness progress
  • Enhance coordination with crisis intervention teams
  • Conduct audits on plan progress

Year 3 and 4 (March 2026 to March 2029):

  • Continue to assess the progress of the evaluator's plan; receive public input
  • Begin annual policy reviews to determine if implemented policies are effective in moving forward with decree goals
  • Officer wellness and data system plans should be fully enacted.

Read more

The full report is available online and below:

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