Chief Arradondo On '60 Minutes': 'We Cannot Afford To Take Away' Minneapolis Police
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- In an interview with "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday night, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo says he's working towards building trust and reforming the department -- but getting rid of it is not the solution.
"Each and every day I hear from community members who rely upon us, who are saying that we cannot afford to take away a public safety mechanism when we still have a lawless society," Arradondo said. "Now, they also say we need good policing. We know it's broken. We need to make changes."
READ MORE: Minneapolis Police Department Reports Increased Hostility Toward Officers
Chief Arradondo said he doesn't see racial animosity within the force, but is addressing systemic barriers that exist. He says he stepped away from contract talks with the police union -- the Minneapolis Police Officers Federation -- because it diminishes his authority by allowing officers who are fired or disciplined to get their jobs back in arbitration.
In a statement to CBS, the union said in part, "Despite the efforts of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis and its leadership, too often the Police Administration and elected officials from the City of Minneapolis have failed to develop, implement, fund, and/or maintain these initiatives … including providing necessary training, supervision and accountability." Click here to read the full statement.
Click here to watch the full "60 Minutes" interview with Chief Arradondo, where he also discusses why he did not consider stepping down after Floyd's death.