Widespread Discriminatory Policing in Minneapolis Exposed by State Investigation

Strategic Insights -

A state-led investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department has uncovered a pattern of "discriminatory, race-based policing" that has persisted for over a decade, according to a report released this week. The 72-page report, compiled after 700 hours of body-worn camera footage and interviews with dozens of officers, highlights a culture of racism and misconduct within the department. State Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero criticized the department's flawed training, lack of accountability, and failure to address racial disparities, which have resulted in Black residents being searched at a rate 78% higher than their population representation.

Key Takeaways:

  • The investigation revealed a pattern of discriminatory policing that has been ongoing for over a decade.
  • Black residents make up 19% of the Minneapolis population but are involved in 78% of all police searches from 2017 to 2020.
  • Officers were 12% more likely to stop a vehicle occupied by a person of color or Indigenous individual when it was light outside, and the department's use of force has resulted in the deaths of 13 people of color or Indigenous individuals since 2010.
  • The report accused the department of "deficient training, which emphasizes a paramilitary approach to policing that results in officers unnecessarily escalating encounters or using inappropriate levels of force."
  • Officers used covert social media accounts to surveil Black individuals and organizations, and some used these accounts to pose as residents attacking police critics and local officials.
  • The investigation originated with a June 1, 2020, filing against the city by the Department of Human Rights to determine if police engaged in a "pattern-or-practice" of race discrimination.
  • The state obtained a temporary court order in 2020 requiring the city of Minneapolis and Minneapolis police to implement immediate changes, including prohibiting neck restraints and choke holds.

Statistics:

  • 19% of Minneapolis residents are Black, yet 78% of all police searches from 2017 to 2020 involved Black residents.
  • Officers were 12% more likely to stop a vehicle occupied by a person of color or Indigenous individual when it was light outside.
  • 93% of all MPD officer-involved deaths between January 1, 2010, and February 2, 2022, involved people of color or Indigenous individuals, despite this group comprising only 42% of the Minneapolis population.
  • Since 2010, 13 people of color or Indigenous individuals have been killed by Minneapolis police officers.
  • 700 hours of body-worn camera footage were reviewed as part of the investigation.
  • Interviews with "dozens and dozens" of officers of all ranks were conducted as part of the investigation.

Sources:

  • CNN
  • State Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero
  • Minnesota Department of Human Rights
  • Department of Human Rights investigation report
  • US Justice Department investigation into the practices of Minneapolis police
  • Body camera and bystander video footage of George Floyd's death
  • Reports on the deaths of George Floyd and Amir Locke