The Minneapolis City Council is expected to decide Monday whether to approve an agreement with the federal government in response to the murder of George Floyd that would require major reforms within the city's police department under long-term court supervision.
The agreement, known as a consent decree, has been under negotiation since the Department of Justice issued a scathing critique of the city's police in June 2023, alleging that they 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 in 2020. Floyd's death prompted a national reckoning with police brutality and racism.
The Justice Department report was the result of a sweeping 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.
As a result, the city and police department agreed to negotiate a deal with the federal agency to require changes overseen by an independent monitor and approved by a federal judge. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, several council members and police accountability activists all welcomed the prospect at the time as a move toward healing the city.
Frey called a special City Council meeting for Monday “for the purpose of receiving a briefing on the litigation matter of U.S. Department of Justice v. City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Police Department, including resolution possibilities.” After a closed-door discussion that began Monday morning, the council was expected to reconvene in public in the afternoon for a vote.
