Three separate entities vying to be the independent evaluator of a settlement between the City of Minneapolis and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights have been chosen to make public presentations this week.
The group, ultimately picked by both the city and state will independently monitor the city's compliance with the consent decree regarding the police department, providing assistance on drafting policy and training.
The selection will be made following public presentations, the first of which is Tuesday evening at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota beginning at 6:00 p.m.
The second presentation is schedule for Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at Plymouth Congregational Church at Nicollet and Franklin Avenues.
The Independent Evaluator will play an important role in making sure the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Police Department are on track with making transformational changes as required by the court enforceable agreement.
The court enforceable agreement requires the City and MPD to set and enforce clear policies that build community trust, provide non-discriminatory public safety, and reduce dangers for officers.
Each of the finalists will make a public presentation that includes information about the members of their team, their proposed plan for monitoring the City and Minneapolis Police Department, and their community engagement plan. Then, the finalists will respond to questions submitted by community members.
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the City of Minneapolis reached a court enforceable agreement on March 31, 2023, and the court approved it on July 13, 2023.
There is also a consent decree between the city, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Federal Government. A scathing report was issued last June by the Justice Department said Minneapolis Police consistently violated the rights of citizens.
The three finalists:
- Effective Law Enforcement For ALL (ELEFA), a nonprofit formed to help police, civic, and community leaders partner to reinvent law enforcement in their communities to achieve policing that is effective, respectful, restrained and, above all, safe for the public and the police. The nonprofit has offices in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Silver Springs, Maryland.
- Jensen Hughes, a law enforcement consulting firm committed to improving the performance of policing to ensure the law enforcement agency practices are constitutional, procedurally just and delivered in a manner that builds trust and confidence in the communities they serve. Jensen Hughes has offices around the world.
- Relman Colfax, a Washington, D.C.-based national civil rights firm with a long record of combatting community-wide race and disability discrimination; representing cities and law enforcement officers facing race discrimination; and conducting monitorships, audits, and internal investigations.
