Opportunities to learn about, shape, the Minneapolis Police Department’s consent decree

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (DHR) is working with the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) to develop a consent decree — a court-enforced, legally binding agreement to ensure compliance with reforms. This follows DHR’s April report finding the city and MPD were engaging in a pattern or practice of race discrimination, in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

There are several upcoming opportunities to learn more about how the process works and to have a say in what you think the consent decree should include.

Virtual presentation

Thursday, July 7, 8:30- 10:30 a.m.: Join a virtual presentation explaining what a Consent Decree is and how it will shape police reform. WILD, the Wanton Injustice Legal Detail, is hosting an information session and panel discussion.

Register here. Panelists are:

• Rebecca Lucero, Minnesota DHR Commissioner
• Rachel Moran, Associate Professor at the St. Thomas School of Law. (Her work focuses on police accountability, policing reform, and public access to records of police misconduct.)
• Justin Terrell, executive director of Minnesota Justice Research Center

In-person facilitated discussions

The Minnesota Justice Research Center is hosting a series of five facilitated, in-person meetings around Minneapolis to engage citizens in a conversation about what they would like to see included in the consent decree. Food provided.

To register, click here.

The dates are:

• South Minneapolis: Thursday, July 7, 6-8 p.m. at the Longfellow Park Recreation Center, Multipurpose Room – 3435 36th Ave. S.
• Northeast Minneapolis: Sunday, July 10, 3-5 p.m., location TBD.
• Southwest Minneapolis: Thursday, July 21, 6-8 p.m., location TBD.
• North Minneapolis: Sunday, July 24, 3-5 p.m., location TBD.
• Citywide: Thursday, July 28, 3-5 p.m., location TBD.

The website will be updated as locations are selected.

Learn about ‘Universal Discipline’

In a newsletter to her constituents, City Councilmember Robin Wonsley (Ward 2) announced that her office has been working with legal experts “to identify policies that could be helpful for dealing with police misconduct, while staying within our authority as Council.”

One such policy, Universal Discipline, will be presented Monday, July 18, 1:30 p.m. at the Council’s Policy and Government Oversight Committee.

You can watch it streamed here.  

“Universal Discipline would adjust citywide internal HR policies related to misconduct and data practices in a way that would increase transparency and accountability for all city employees,” Wonsley wrote.