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Civil Rights and Policing Practices in Minnesota

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Civil Rights and Policing Practices in Minnesota Civil Rights and Policing Practices in Minnesota A Report of the Minnesota Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights March 2018 Advisory Committees to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights By law, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has established an advisory committee in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The committees are composed of state citizens who serve without compensation. The committees advise the Commission of civil rights issues in their states that are within the Commission’s jurisdiction. More specifically, they are authorized to advise the Commission in writing of any knowledge or information they have of any alleged deprivation of voting rights and alleged discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, or in the administration of justice; advise the Commission on matters of their state’s concern in the preparation of Commission reports to the President and the Congress; receive reports, suggestions, and recommendations from individuals, public officials, and representatives of public and private organizations to committee inquiries; forward advice and recommendations to the Commission, as requested; and observe any open hearing or conference conducted by the Commission in their states. Letter of Transmittal Minnesota Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights The Minnesota Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights submits this report detailing civil rights concerns associated with police practices in Minnesota. The Committee submits this report as part of its responsibility to study and report on civil rights issues in the state of Minnesota. The contents of this report are primarily based on testimony the Committee heard during hearings on March 21, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This report documents civil rights concerns raised by panelists with respect to police practices throughout the state of Minnesota and discusses possible strategies for implementing the recommendations put forth by The Task Force on 21st Century Policing (Task Force). Based on the findings of this report, the Committee offers to the Commission recommendations for addressing this issue of national importance. The Committee recognizes that the Commission has previously issued important studies about policing and civil rights nationwide and hopes that the information presented here aids the Commission in its continued work on this topic. Minnesota State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Velma Korbel, Chair, Minnesota Advisory Committee Robert Battle Jacqueline Beaulieu Ryan Check* Matthew Dobratz Kenneth Doyle* Leticia Guadarrama Denise Huynh Kirk Kolbo* Nekima Levy Pounds Teresa Nelson Craig Taylor Nyagatare Valens Robert Vischer *Dissenting Table of Contents Table of Contents I. Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. i II. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 3 III. Background ............................................................................................................................. 4 IV. Summary of Panel Testimony ............................................................................................... 10 A. Pillar 1: Building Trust & Legitimacy ........................................................................... 10 1. Historical Trauma .......................................................................................................... 11 2. Police and Community Distrust ..................................................................................... 12 3. Procedural Justice .......................................................................................................... 14 4. Implicit Bias ................................................................................................................... 17 5. Resident Officer Programs ............................................................................................. 19 6. Force Diversity............................................................................................................... 20 7. Trust with Immigrant Communities............................................................................... 22 B. Pillar 2: Policy & Oversight ........................................................................................... 24 1. Data Collection .............................................................................................................. 24 2. Policies ........................................................................................................................... 26 3. Internal Accountability .................................................................................................. 29 4. External/Civilian Oversight ........................................................................................... 31 C. Pillar 3: Technology & Social Media ............................................................................. 33 1. Body-Worn Cameras ..................................................................................................... 33 2. Social Media .................................................................................................................. 35 D. Pillar 4: Community Policing & Crime Reduction ........................................................ 37 1. Non-enforcement Activities ........................................................................................... 37 2. Community Policing ...................................................................................................... 39 3. Community Partnerships ................................................................................................ 40 4. Community-based Initiatives ......................................................................................... 42 E. Pillar 5: Training & Education ....................................................................................... 43 1. Training .......................................................................................................................... 43 2. Selection Methods .......................................................................................................... 44 Table of Contents 3. Quality of Education ...................................................................................................... 45 F. Pillar 6: Officer Wellness & Safety ................................................................................... 47 V. Findings and Recommendations ........................................................................................... 49 a. Findings.............................................................................................................................. 49 b. Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 53 VI. Appendix ............................................................................................................................... 57 Executive Summary I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A number of recent public incidents involving police use of force have brought concerns regarding racial disparities in policing to the forefront of national conversation. On November 15, 2015, Jamar Clark, a black man, was shot and killed by Minneapolis police officers after allegedly resisting arrest. Less than seven months later, on July 6, 2016, Philando Castile, who is also black, was fatally shot by a Minnesota police officer during a traffic stop. Jeronimo Yanez, the officer who shot Castile, was acquitted by a jury for the criminal charges, including second- degree manslaughter, brought against him, while no charges were ever filed in Clark’s death. These incidents attracted considerable media attention and sparked protests both in Minnesota and nationwide. At one of these local protests, a white supremacist opened fire on the protestors, wounding five people and further exacerbating tensions between law enforcement and the community. In the most recent incident, which is still under investigation, a Somali-American Minneapolis police officer shot and killed a white woman who had called for 911 assistance. Responding to the challenges of contemporary policing illuminated by the public’s response to high-profile incidents, on October 31, 2016, the Minnesota Advisory Committee (Committee) to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) voted to study civil rights concerns regarding policing throughout the state of Minnesota. The contents of this report are based on panel discussions held by the Committee on March 21, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These discussions focused primarily on developing strategies for building positive, trusting relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Several prominent themes arose from these discussions: 1. Improving interactions between law enforcement and communities of color requires building trust on both sides of the police-civilian divide. 2. Collecting and maintaining thorough and accurate data on police department practices – including hiring practices, officer demographics, and interactions between police and citizens – increases transparency and helps foster trusting relationships between communities of color and law enforcement. 3. New technology has drastically changed
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