State and Minneapolis city officials announced the group that will monitor compliance of the state consent decree to address discriminatory policing in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder.
A nonprofit called Law Enforcement for All has been selected from 20 teams that applied.
The team will engage with police and the community, monitor the department's progress, and provide regular, public reports.
This decree, and a federal decree still being negotiated, requires transformational changes to address race-based policing. State Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero says with Minneapolis being the first city in the country to address discriminatory policing practices, this is an important moment in the long road ahead.
“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 Lucero.
Communities United Against Police Brutality applauded the choice.
"This is a group that was formed for effective law enforcement and their purpose is to do better law enforcement," said CUAPB board member Dave Bicking. "So just the fact that's where they start from long before they applied to us is important."
Bicking commended the re-opening of the application process in order to find groups better-suited to provide oversight of MPD.
"We rather this be done right than done quickly," Bicking said. "It shows that at least with the Department of Justice and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, community input and input from groups that have been doing this work has had a real impact."
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.
“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," says Commissioner Lucero.