Consent decree had been under negotiation since justice department issued a critique of authorities in June 2023. The Minneapolis city council on Monday approved an agreement with the federal government in response to the murder of George Floyd that would require reforms within the city’s police department under longterm court supervision.
The agreement was not immediately released publicly, but it was expected to incorporate and build on changes the police department has already made to its policies on the use of force and training of officers following Floyd’s death in 2020. The city attorney Kristyn Anderson said it would become public after it was filed in federal court, which she said would happen “promptly” after city and federal officials gave their final signatures.
The agreement, known as a consent decree, had been under negotiation since the Department of Justice issued a scathing critique of the city’s police in June 2023. The report alleged that police systematically discriminated against racial minorities, violated constitutional rights and disregarded the safety of people in custody for years before Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white Minneapolis officer. Floyd’s death prompted a national reckoning with police brutality and entrenched racism.
The justice department report followed a two-year investigation that confirmed many citizen complaints about police conduct. The investigation found that Minneapolis officers used excessive force, including “unjustified deadly force”, and violated the rights of people engaged in constitutionally protected speech.
