Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot will introduce a new resolution to transform the city's public safety during a special Brooklyn Center City Council meeting on Saturday.
The sweeping public safety proposal comes after nearly one month after Daunte Wright, an unarmed Black man, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop by former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter.
Mayor Elliot released a statement ahead of Saturday's special session on community safety:
“We know that real justice is Daunte and Kobe alive today with their loved ones. In the days and weeks since Daunte’s killing, our community has made it clear that enough is enough. It is time for real, structural change that is going to keep everyone in our community safe. We have the ability to start creating that change now. And with this resolution, we are doing exactly that," Elliot wrote.
The proposal includes plans to create a new Department of Community Safety & Violence Prevention, a permanent Community Safety & Violence Prevention Committee, and implementing immediate safety-oriented policy changes.
The Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety and Violence Prevention Resolution will be introduced at the City Council special session on community safety Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.
More about each proposal is listed below:
1. A new Department of Community Safety & Violence Prevention that will oversee the Police and Fire Departments, as well as two newly created Departments: the Traffic Enforcement Department and the Community Response Department.
2. Creating a permanent Community Safety & Violence Prevention Committee who will review city safety data and make recommendations to the City Council on how to modify and/or initiate programs or policies to improve community safety and prevent violence. The committee will also create a separate civilian oversight body for the new Department, have the ability to review any draft collective bargaining agreement between the Police Department and provide comments to the City Manager and Mayor before and during contract negotiations. A majority of the committee will be made up of Brooklyn Center residents.
3. Implementing immediate safety-oriented policy changes that would appropriately regulate law enforcement use of force including during First Amendment protests and assemblies, and require police to issue citations and prohibit custodial arrests for any traffic infractions, non-felony offense, or non-felony warrant.
