Police Laboring to Restore Trust and Strengthen a 'Depleted' Department in Minneapolis Five Years After George Floyd's Demise
In Minneapolis, five years after the police killing of George Floyd, the city grapples with ongoing challenges amid strides towards police reform. Brian O'Hara, the city's police chief, arrived in 2022 to a department depleted due to widespread protests and backlash.
"Cops openly told me that if anybody asks them about becoming a cop, they tell them, 'Don't come here, everybody hates us,'" O'Hara shared. He noted that the third precinct, which was burnt down during the 2020 unrest, was particularly miserable.
As the commemoration of Floyd's death approaches, O'Hara acknowledges some progress, but points to persistent challenges. "There's a whole lot of open wounds still here in the city. While there has been some healing, not everybody's healed, not everything has improved," he stated.
Recently, the Department of Justice announced its intention to drop the police reform agreement, or consent decree, reached with the city of Minneapolis in January. Initiated by a probe into the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd, the agreement would have required MPD to make significant changes in policy, resources, and training. However, it had not yet received final certification by a federal judge due to the change in presidential administration.
Attorney Ben Crump, representing the Floyd family, called the DOJ's move to drop the agreement a "slap in the face." Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and O'Hara vowed that the city would move forward with the proposed reforms "with or without" the federal decree.
The MPD is already in the process of implementing reforms as part of a state-enforced consent decree, which has been in effect for over a year. Both the city and an independent monitor have been reporting positive progress. According to Michelle Phillips, Director of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department, the office of police conduct reviews is fully staffed for the first time in 10 years, and the MPD is on track to eliminate a backlog of 234 police complaints.
Reflecting on the past five years, O'Hara finds being a police officer in Minneapolis exceptionally challenging. Former MPD officer Derek Chauvin, who was sentenced to 21 years in prison in July 2022 on federal civil rights charges related to Floyd's death, sparked nationwide protests and brought intense scrutiny to the MPD.
Despite these challenges, O'Hara observes improvements, including more aggressive recruitment efforts. The department, which lost more than half of its 900 officers after Floyd was killed, has nearly 600 sworn officers, approaching the city's minimum of 731 according to population. Additionally, about 60% of the new recruits are officers of color. O'Hara reported that morale seems to be improving even among officers at the third precinct, which was burned in 2020, with a recent visit revealing officers who appeared to be happy and interacting positively with each other.
In an upcoming interview with Alex Perez on Live Prime, O'Hara will explain in more detail the MPD's ongoing efforts to rebuild the force and address community concerns.
- Brian O'Hara, the city's police chief, discussed the ongoing struggles in Minneapolis' police force during an upcoming interview with Alex Perez on Live Prime.
- O'Hara shared his concerns about the MPD's morale, citing the open hostility from the public that officers encountered, as exemplified by cops telling potential recruits to stay away from the force.
- Despite these challenges, O'Hara noted some improvements, such as the MPD's progress in staffing and recruitment, with about 60% of recent recruits being officers of color and the department's total officer count approaching the city's minimum.
- As the department implements reforms under both state-enforced and federal consent decrees, O'Hara also highlighted the office of police conduct reviews being fully staffed for the first time in 10 years and the MPD's effort to eliminate a backlog of 234 police complaints.
- However, O'Hara acknowledged that not every wound has healed in the city, as the general public and international news outlets continue to monitor Minneapolis' strides towards police reform amid ongoing challenges.
- In the realm of human rights and international justice, the recent decision by the Department of Justice to drop the police reform agreement with Minneapolis has sparked controversy, with Attorney Ben Crump calling it a "slap in the face" and city officials vowing to move forward with the proposed reforms regardless.
