Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty is enforcing a new policy requiring police agencies to release more information on an officers’ history of behavior and discipline.
Effective on the first of the year, all law enforcement agencies were asked to begin turning over any evidence of findings related to a police officers' truthfulness, bias against person or group, excessive force, or abuse of authority.
Moriarty says in the past it's been difficult for defense attorneys to know if the prosecutor is disclosing all of the information required when police are called as a witness in a case.
"We want a really streamlined approach that has integrity and that people can trust," Moriarty says.
Its all part of an updated compliance policy where data must be released by prosecutors when police are called as a witness in a case.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley says he and other county police chiefs are in strong support of the change.
"I lack the confidence in the previous administration and how we were doing things," Bruley explains. "There were many loopholes and I think we could have done it better. And this process has tightened that up."
Moriarty says she hopes this will lead to fewer cases being thrown out when officers are put on the stand.