The Minneapolis City Council has unanimously approved an agreement with the federal government to overhaul the city’s police training and use-of-force policies in response to the 2020 police killing of George Floyd. The agreement, known as a consent decree, requires police officers to “promote the sanctity of human life as the highest priority in their activities” and “carry out their law enforcement duties with professionalism and respect for the dignity of every person.”
The decree also prohibits officers from allowing race, gender, or ethnicity to influence any decision to use force, including the amount or type of force used. The agreement will put the police department under long-term court supervision and includes provisions for an independent monitor to oversee the changes to the police training and policies.
The consent decree is a result of a two-year investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) into the Minneapolis Police Department’s practices, which found evidence of systemic racial discrimination, violation of constitutional rights, and disregard for the safety of people in their custody.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, praised the agreement, saying it would help the community heal and strengthen trust between law enforcement and the people they serve.
The agreement will now go to a judge for approval. The Minneapolis City Council’s vote is seen as a major step towards reforming the city’s police department, and it follows a similar agreement between the city and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in 2023.
The DOJ has opened 12 similar investigations of state and local law enforcement agencies across the country since April 2021, including many in response to high-profile killings by police. The Minneapolis agreement is one of 16 policing “pattern and practices” settlements that the DOJ has reached with law enforcement agencies nationwide.
