Minneapolis will adhere to police reform consent decree despite DOJ's dismissal plan, officials say
Minneapolis officials say the city will adhere to a consent decree ordering expansive reforms to its police force despite the federal government's plan to end its investigation into the department.
"Here is the bottom line: We're doing it anyway," Mayor Jacob Frey said Wednesday. "We will comply with every sentence of every paragraph of the 169-page consent decree that we signed this year."
The Minneapolis City Council approved the consent decree on Jan. 6 and subsequently filed it in federal court. The agreement said the Minneapolis Police Department would require its officers to "promote the sanctity of human life as the highest priority in their activities," and must not allow race, gender or ethnicity to "influence any decision to use force, including the amount or type of force used."
A federal judge needed to approve that consent decree before it went it effect. However, the DOJ requested and was granted multiple stays of court proceedings.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the consent decrees proposed by the Biden administration sought to subject the Minneapolis police to sweeping arguments that went beyond accusations of unconstitutional conduct and would have led to "years of micromanagement."
Police Chief Brian O'Hara said he believes his department has accomplished more than any other under a consent decree.
"In addition, we are going beyond what is required in any paragraph of any court-ordered reform," O'Hara said. "We will be the best police department in the nation, period."
The dismissal comes nearly five years to the day since Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, part of the impetus for the DOJ's investigation into the city's police department.
Frey attacked the timing of the dismissal announcement, calling the Trump administration "a mess" and saying "all Donald Trump really cares about is political theater."
"They had every opportunity to move for a dismissal in the months previous to right now," Frey said. "But instead, they delayed. They asked for extension after extension, and of course, it is predictable that they would move for a dismissal the very same week that George Floyd was murdered five years ago."
The decree requires law enforcement to meet specific goals before federal oversight is removed, a process that often takes years and millions of dollars. Some of the reforms outlined include changes to the use of force policy, limiting military-style tactics during protests and banning handcuffing children under 14.
A settlement agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which was filed in March of 2023 after the department found the city and Minneapolis police engage in a pattern of racial discrimination in violation of state law, will continue to stand. Rebecca Lucero, commissioner of the state's human rights department, said the decree won't be removed until the state's judiciary "determines that the City and MPD have reached full, effective, and sustained compliance with the terms of the agreement."
"Minneapolis is serious about our commitment to police reform, even if the president of the United States is not," Frey said. "We're going to move forward with that work with or without the White House."
Frey said the city plans to file a response to the DOJ's motion on Wednesday.
Other local officials decry dismissal
Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne called the DOJ's dismissal plans "cruel" and an attempt to "sanitize our history."
"I want to apologize to our residents because today is a failure by everyone at the city," Payne said. "We all could have done more to anticipate the possibility that Trump would win the election and turn his back on our city, and we should have done more on City Council to hold the city administration accountable to enter into the consent decree before Trump had power ... We will do everything we can as the City Council to move forward with the MDHR settlement agreement and implement the provisions agreed to with the Biden Department of Justice and with our independent monitor."
Council Member Jason Chavez said it was "painful to see the voices of our community be dismissed."
"While the federal government has abandoned efforts to hold the police accountable, you have my commitment to ensure that we do not lose any of the reforms our community was meant to gain from this," Chavez said.
U.S. Sen Tina Smith said she is "deeply disturbed" by the move.
"It's especially painful that this decision comes on the eve of the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's murder—the very tragedy that sparked this investigation and the urgent push for reform," Smith said. "I led the call for that federal civil rights investigation because Minnesotans deserve accountability and reform. Walking away from this agreement, after confirming the need for it, is unconscionable."
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty called the timing "particularly abhorrent" and accused the Trump administration of being "perfectly willing to sacrifice public safety in order to score political points."
"The federal government implemented this consent decree to eliminate systemic violations of the Constitution and end violence that happened with too much frequency, especially against Black people," Moriarty said. "That should be a goal every elected representative has. Police reform isn't an attack on the police. It is a necessary step to make sure people are protected and safe."
The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis says members will remain "committed to strengthening public safety, constructive dialogue, and to policies that support both officer safety and community well-being."
"Today's decision reflects recognition that additional oversight is unnecessary. We acknowledge there is work that needs to be done to rebuild community trust, so we can move forward with practical, effective public safety reforms - reforms that are driven by the realities of policing, not just politics or headlines," the federation said in a statement.