Reshaping Policing and Public Safety in Minnesota

League members and the public have contacted LWVMN asking what actions they may take as part of the League in response to policing and racism in Minnesota. LWVMN has put together the following resources for members and the public.

Policing—and police misconduct—have disproportionately affected Black people, as well as indigenous people and people of color. In order to effectively address police misconduct and this disproportionate impact, government entities should scrutinize their current policies and practices. By doing so, we can begin to reshape our public safety system so that it works for all Minnesotans.

FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY

LWVUS is currently advocating in favor of the Justice in Policing Act. Read the LWV Statement on the Justice in Policing Act.

STATE LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY

Please use our Action Alert to contact your legislators.

These pieces of legislation were created and endorsed by the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus of the Minnesota House as responses to the need to reshape policing.

Reclaiming Community Oversight Act (HF93)

  • Requires government entities to establish law enforcement citizen oversight councils

  • Clarifies that the status of complaints against a peace officer are public

  • Removes the statute of limitations for any case of alleged sexual abuse by a peace officer

  • Stops the statute of limitations for other crimes from running during investigations into police misconduct

  • Removes the statute of limitations to bring a wrongful death suit for a death caused by a peace officer

  • Prohibits peace officers from using certain neck restraints, choke holds, tying all of a person's limb behind them, or securing a person in any way that requires the person to be transported face down in a vehicle

  • Requires the Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training to develop a model policy to govern interactions between peace officers and community members

  • Prohibits law enforcement agencies from providing “warrior-style” training and prohibits the Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training from granting such trainings as continuing education credits

  • Establishes learning requirements for peace officers

  • Requires police officers to intercede when they observe another peace officer using force beyond that which is reasonable and to report that use of force

  • Reforms the process for selecting arbitrators in grievance arbitrations involving peace officers

  • Require the commissioner of public safety to establish guidelines for positive community interactions

  • Allows Minneapolis and St. Paul to require peace officers reside within their city limits to be eligible for employment

  • Appropriates funding to meet these objectives

Reforming Accountability Act (HF1)

  • Requires that the Attorney General, rather than local county attorney, leads criminal prosecutions in the case of an officer-involved death

  • Requires that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, rather than the local police department, leads investigations in the case of an officer-involved death

  • Modifies the authorization to use deadly force to require imminent, rather than apparent, death or bodily harm to another person based on the totality of the circumstances

  • Reforms the cash bail system

  • Appropriates funds to the Attorney General and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to meet these objectives

Reimagining Public Safety Act (HF92)

  • Establishes Critical Incident Stress Management team to provide crisis intervention services, such as counseling and peer support, to emergency service providers who are coping with stress or psychological trauma

  • Establishes an Office of Community-Led Public Safety Coordination in the Office of Justice Programs within the Department of Public Safety, which shall study and promote alternatives to traditional policing models, such as restorative justice programs, community-led public safety, and co-responder models of crisis intervention

  • Requires that after all related criminal investigations have concluded, a critical incident review team must investigate each event where a person suffered bodily harm from the discharge of a firearm of a peace officer or died during contact with a peace officer.

  • Requires law enforcement agencies to track and report instances of use of force

  • Requires crisis intervention and mental illness crisis training for peace officers

  • Requires autism training for peace officers

  • Appropriates funds to meet these objectives

EDUCATE YOURSELF ON REFORM EFFORTS

Review the following resources to learn more about existing proposals, often led by Black community members, tribal members, and people of color.

LEAGUE POSITIONS FOR LOCAL ACTION

Local Leagues are encouraged to use League positions to advocate for changes at the local level. The following is a list of existing state and national League positions that local Leagues can use as a basis for their action. Local Leagues are also welcome to rely on local positions as well.

Principles

  • LWV believes in the individual liberties established in the Constitution of the United States

  • LWV believes that no person or group should suffer legal, economic, or administrative discrimination

  • LWV believes that efficient and economical government requires competent personnel

  • LWV believes that responsible government should share in the solution of economic and social problems that affect the general welfare

Government Spending

  • When the state finds it necessary to limit spending, LWVMN supports that services should be provided first to the people most in need

Adult Corrections

  • Support a correctional system responsive to the needs of the individual offender and of society

  • Recognition of the offender as an individual with basic human rights commensurate with constitutional rights except as necessary for the protection of offenders and society. These rights include, but are not limited to, healthful conditions and due process

  • Up-to-date personnel procedures including, but not limited to, training, compensations plans, grievance procedures

Judicial System

  • Support reform of bail process to recognize methods other than monetary to ensure appearance of accused at trial

LWV Minnesota