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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 2, 2024
Minnesota Department of Human Rights, City of Minneapolis Select Team to Monitor the State Court Enforceable Agreement
Effective Law Enforcement for All will support and hold the City and Minneapolis Police Department accountable to address race-based policing by strengthening public safety
[St. Paul, MN] Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) and the City of Minneapolis (City) announced that Effective Law Enforcement for All was selected as the monitoring team for the state court enforceable agreement, which requires transformational changes to address race-based policing.
Effective Law Enforcement for All will support the City and Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), monitor their progress, engage with community members and police officers, and provide regular, public reports.
?It is essential to have a highly qualified, independent monitor to ensure that the City and MPD center and prioritize a culture of continuous learning based on humanity and civil rights ? Effective Law Enforcement for All is that team,? said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. ?With Minneapolis being the first city in the country to be subject to both a state and a federal consent decree to address discriminatory policing practices, this is an important moment in the long road ahead.?
Effective Law Enforcement for All is a nonprofit formed to help police, civic, and community leaders partner to reinvent law enforcement in their communities to achieve policing that is effective, respectful, restrained, and above all, safe for the public and the police.
?Effective Law Enforcement for All is the right team for this moment in history to provide the immediate support and oversight necessary for the coming years to achieve meaningful and lasting progress,? continued Commissioner Lucero.
Intentional Selection Process
The court enforceable agreement details an intentional process for selecting the monitoring team. There were 20 teams from across the country that applied. Three were selected as finalists.
In January 2024, community members met the finalists at two community events. During and after these events, community members shared their feedback about the finalists in-person and online. These events were important because engaging with and collecting feedback from community members is not only critical to the success of the court enforceable agreement ? it is required.
In the weeks ahead, Effective Law Enforcement for All will be on the ground in Minneapolis, including meeting with community members and police officers.
Court?s Role
Hennepin County District Court Judge Karen Janisch oversees the state court enforceable agreement. The court is the only entity that can terminate this legally binding agreement once it determines that the City and MPD have reached full, effective, and sustained compliance with the terms.
Judge Janisch can utilize public reports from Effective Law Enforcement for All to help determine how the City and MPD are doing towards reaching full, effective, and sustained compliance of the court enforceable agreement.
Court enforceable agreements are also often referred to as court enforceable settlement agreements, consent orders, or consent decrees.
About the Case
MDHR initiated the investigation of the City and MPD immediately following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. In April 2022, MDHR announced that the City and MPD engage in a pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of Minnesota?s civil rights law. In March 2023, MDHR and the City reached and filed a court enforceable agreement, which the court approved in July 2023.
Throughout the investigation and while negotiating the court enforceable agreement, MDHR prioritized engaging with community members and police officers. As a result, the court enforceable agreement contains many provisions that are based on what community members and MPD officers shared during extensive engagement conducted by MDHR.
Learn more about the case and find many key documents linked through this timeline.
Effective Law Enforcement for All to Serve as the Monitor to Address Both State and Federal Consent Decrees
MDHR?s findings mark the first of two independent investigations that found a pattern or practice of unlawful policing by MPD. In June 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice found that the City and MPD are in violation of the U.S. Constitution and federal law.
The Department of Justice is negotiating a federal court enforceable agreement with the City and MPD to address its findings. Moving forward, the City will be subject to two court enforceable agreements for violations of both state and federal laws. The Department of Justice provided input throughout the monitor selection process.
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state?s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.
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Media Inquires:?Please email?[email protected]?
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