Last month, the city of Minneapolis and the U.S. Department of Justice released details of an agreement mandating reforms within the Minneapolis Police Department.
New Police Policies
The agreement, officially called the consent decree, comes in the wake of the federal government’s investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department’s handling of George Floyd, who died while being restrained by police. The agreement comes after the DOJ’s investigation found a pattern of racial discrimination withing the department.
Among other things, the federal decree prohibits:
- The use of handcuffs on children under the age of 14
- The use of neck restraints and choke holds
- The use of some tear gases, including Mace
- The initiation of foot chases simply because a person runs away when they see an officer
The federal decree also requires that misconduct evaluations be completed within 180 days unless extenuating circumstances exist. Investigations will also be required to continue even if an officer resigns or retires from a department. An investigation by Minnesota Reformer found that the average misconduct investigation took 539 days to resolve. Additionally, officers who are under investigation for misconduct or suspended from the force can’t work off-duty jobs.
The third-party evaluator Effective Law Enforcement for All will work alongside the Minneapolis Police Department to ensure all agreed-upon policies are implemented.
It’s encouraging the these reform measures are taking place within the Minneapolis Police Department. There are plenty of great officers on the force, but as the old adage goes, one bad apple ruins the bunch, and hopefully these policies will help to protect citizens from injustices. For now, if you need legal assistance in Minneapolis or a suburb of the Twin Cities, we hope that you’ll reach out to a team that has won countless cases all over the metro area. For assistance with a new or existing criminal matter, pick up the phone and call Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
