Volunteer commissioners consider proposal to give public more access to Minneapolis police misconduct reports

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Some changes could be coming to what the public is able to view related to police misconduct allegations within the Minneapolis Police Department.

Community members laid out a new proposal Tuesday that could mean more MPD officer misconduct complaints would be available to the public. During a meeting of civilain commissioners who oversee Minneapolis Police policy and conduct, members discussed “coaching” in the department.

“We’ve just been doing it wrong. We need to fix it,” said Abigail Cerra, Commissioner of the Minneapolis Police Conduct Oversight Commission.

Cerra said she started digging into the term “coaching” – used for some officers with a low level of misbehavior, like speeding or foul language.

“I was trying to figure out what it means, what it is, and I couldn’t get a straight definition or a straight answer,” she said.

Cerra discovered the department’s policy and procedure manual says coaching is discipline and therefore should be available as public data.

“Right now, as we sit here, MPD operates under the thinking that coaching is not discipline, but under its own procedures, it is discipline and so right now any complaint that results in coaching is being designated as private data and it’s not being disclosed.”

The MPD said the purpose of coaching is for minor policy violations and to correct behavior in an informal, non-disciplinary manner. 

Cerra said she’s not advocating for a change in policy but rather, that what’s in place to be made clearer.

“It should be an easy thing, particularly this moment in history when the city is really committed to changing policing, changing public safety, reimagining what that looks like,” she said.

An amended version of the proposal now moves forward to the full Police Conduct Oversight Committee  in September. If it’s eventually passed, the recommended proposal would go to the city.