Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.
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In a long-overdue effort to improve police conduct, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has unveiled a new plan for handling officer discipline this week.
The updated matrix defines which violations will result in automatic terminations. That new category of "E-level" infractions includes violating the city's anti-discrimination policy, using biased language, lying, recklessly using firearms and using unnecessary force.
Lesser violations fall into the A through D levels and can bring actions ranging from non-disciplinary corrective action such as coaching or mentoring to suspension or demotion.
The city's Police Department has long been rightly criticized for failing to hold officers accountable for infractions ranging from disrespectful and racist speech to injuries and deaths. The MPD's reputation is especially sullied among communities of color. And for decades, the department has been known to protect so-called "thumpers" — officers well-known for using excessive force against those in custody.
In its recent investigation of the MPD, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights found that the "MPD fails to consistently hold officers accountable for police misconduct, either through coaching or formal discipline."
Eliminating that culture and rebuilding trust is the goal of the new disciplinary policy. The changes are part of a series of actions the city's administration and the MPD have taken during the past two years to improve officer conduct.
At a Monday news conference, Frey said the new model will bring more clarity for officers and the public and ensure that the city lives up to its promise to "hold officers accountable who need to be held accountable."
In an interview with an editorial writer, Frey said the new rules help "lift the cloak" of secrecy surrounding officer discipline and are more transparent and easier to understand for both the community and cops.
Since the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, the city has made dozens of changes in MPD policies — most designed to hold officers more accountable. Among the changes: requiring officers to intervene when fellow cops act inappropriately, prohibiting the deactivation of body-worn cameras, limiting pretextual traffic stops and banning the use of most no-knock warrants.
Interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman told an editorial writer that the new matrix was informed by meetings with a community mediation team and with the police union, the Minneapolis Federation of Police Officers. She said citizens wanted the MPD to emphasize taking care of the community and understanding the harm improper behavior causes to residents and officers.
She called the discipline policy "one of the building blocks" to providing professional service to the community and letting the public know that "these are the standards we are going to uphold — and that when there is failure to do that, we will take action."
The MPD will have four officer cadet classes this year and will be hiring to replace the 300 officers it has lost in the last two years. Those new officers, Huffman said, will enter an environment with "very clear standards and expectations" of how they must conduct themselves to build a culture that reflects the department's mission and restores community trust.
Achieving those goals is critical for the MPD and Minneapolis. The search is underway for a new chief, and Frey has proposed a new Office of Community Safety that would oversee the MPD and 911, the Fire Department, emergency management and neighborhood safety. Any new leaders added to that mix should be hired, in large part, based on their abilities to make meaningful change.
The new discipline matrix at the MPD will only be effective if there is a commitment from city and department leaders to make it so.
