DOJ Exposes Discrimination in Minneapolis Police Department

What’s the story?

• Three years after George Floyd’s murder, the Justice Department released an account of discrimination and systemic abuse by the Minneapolis police.
• The DOJ has been investigating the police department since Floyd’s death led to Black Lives Matter protests nationwide. The final report found “reasonable cause to believe” that officers engaged in a “pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law.”

What’s in the report?

• The DOJ called for a complete restructuring of the Minneapolis police department (MPD). The report accused officers of unlawful discrimination towards Black and Native Americans, continuously failing to take health complaints from arrestees seriously, and violating the First Amendment rights of journalists and demonstrators. 
• The account laid out 19 police shootings from Jan. 2016 to Aug. 2022 that included “unconstitutional uses of deadly force,” with some police shooting “without first determining whether there was an immediate threat of harm to the officers or others.”
• The DOJ said the Minneapolis government has repeatedly violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating against those with behavioral health disabilities and responding to many mental health-related calls with unnecessary force. 
• Investigators found that following the death of Floyd, when the MPD was receiving harsh opposition from the public, “officers suddenly stopped reporting race and gender” in their police reports. 
• The DOJ’s account included recommendations for the MPD to improve public safety: revising policies to emphasize avoiding the use of force, improving training to prevent the use of force, developing approaches to handle mental health calls appropriately, analyzing data to decrease discrimination, and more. 

What they’re saying

• L. Chris Stewart, a lawyer who represented the Floyd family, applauded the report, adding:

“There are a lot of great officers, and this hopefully will get rid of the ones not upholding the badge.”

• Newly appointed Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara said:

“[W]e will change the narrative around policing in this city.”

• Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said:

“Such conduct is deeply disturbing and it erodes the community’s trust in law enforcement.”

• Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the city understands that change is “non-negotiable.” He continued:

“Our success will be defined by people feeling safer when interacting with police in our city. We are not going to stop until every single person in every single neighborhood and zip code feels safe interacting with police.”

What’s next?

• The DOJ and Minneapolis officials agreed to negotiate a court-enforced consent decree, according to Garland. If the city doesn’t follow through with the deal, the DOJ will overhaul the police force. 
• The DOJ is investigating similar issues in other police forces as well, including gender bias in New York City, mental health discrimination in Oklahoma, excessive force by the police in Arizona and Louisiana, and racial and gender biases in Massachusetts. 

Do you support an overhaul of the Minneapolis police department? 

-Jamie Epstein

(Photo credit: Flickr/Tony Webster)