MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) has found the Minneapolis Police Department and City of Minneapolis engaged in a pattern of racist discrimination, violating state civil rights law. "The lack of collective and sustained action among city and MPD leaders has, in effect, allowed this organizational culture to fester within MPD and resulted in unlawful policing practices that undermine public safety," the report says, adding: "Without fundamental organizational culture changes, reforming MPD’s policies, procedures, and trainings will be meaningless."Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero presents the department's findings, released on Wednesday, April 27.
The MDHR found the Minneapolis Police Department engaged in a pattern or practice of race discrimination, violating state civil rights law.MDHR says the MPD maintains a culture where officers: use higher rates of more severe force against Black people compared to their white counterparts in similar circumstances (Black individuals comprise about 19% of Minneapolis' population, but 63% of all use of force incidents that MPD officers recorded); are more likely to stop vehicles with people of color and Indigenous people because of their race; treat Black and white people differently during traffic stops; use "covert social media" to target Black leaders, Black organizations and elected officials "without a public safety objective"; and are trained to be aggressive toward community members, escalating situations.
The report also found some MPD officers and supervisors use racist, misogynistic and disrespectful language, including in reference to their fellow officers of color and city employees, according to.