On Monday, the Minneapolis City Council approved a consent decree agreement with the Biden-Harris administration’s Department of Justice outlining changes the city’s police department must take over four years after the death of George Floyd.
The Minneapolis City Council discussed the decree in a closed-door session for around seven hours and approved it in a 12-0 vote. The 170-page document details changes the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) must make under the supervision of a federal judge, per the Star Tribune. The consent decree came after the Department of Justice in 2023 outlined systemic problems with the city’s police department.
The Department of Justice said that the requirements within the decree "focus on preventing excessive force; stopping racially discriminatory policing; improving officers’ interactions with youth; protecting the public’s First Amendment rights; preventing discrimination against people with behavioral health disabilities; promoting well-being of officers and employees; and enhancing officers’ supervision and accountability."
Under the decree, the MPD must implement reforms to use de-escalation "to minimize the need to use force and increase the likelihood of voluntary compliance; resolve incidents without force where possible; use force proportional to the threat; and adopt use of force policies, training, and review systems that provide sufficient guidance and develop necessary skills."
MPD will also be required to enforce the law "fairly and impartially, providing equal protection of the law for all people in Minneapolis and barring racial discrimination in enforcement," "Respect the First Amendment rights of all persons," and "maintain an emergency response system that respects the rights of people with behavioral health disabilities."
The department will be required to investigate all allegations of employee misconduct and "hold officers who commit misconduct accountable pursuant to a disciplinary system that is fair, consistent, and provides due process."
Also required of the MPD is for them to approach youth in a manner that is developmentally appropriate, age-appropriate, and trauma-informed" and "provide confidential mental health wellness services to all MPD officers and other groups of public safety personnel."
The decree stated that compliance with it would result in the decree’s termination and the dismissal of the complaint filed by the US, which alleges that the city and the MPD "are engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the First and Fourth Amendments to the United States Constitution."
Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement, "This agreement places the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department on a path toward achieving the significant reforms, lawful policing, and appropriate emergency response services that the residents of Minneapolis deserve. As I said last summer when I announced the findings of this investigation — George Floyd should be alive today. This agreement is an important step toward ensuring that meaningful, durable reform is achieved in Minneapolis."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said, "It’s a good agreement, and at the same time, I want to be honest with every resident throughout our city: It is not a panacea. There aren’t any shortcuts, and success is not guaranteed."
