Judge signs off on reforms to Minneapolis police spurred by George Floyd’s killing

A federal judge signed off on sweeping reforms to the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) Thursday about three years after George Floyd’s murder.

The Minneapolis-StarTribune reported that Hennepin County Judge Karen Janisch approved the agreement between the MPD and Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) at the urging of city officials.

Among the conditions of the deal are a prohibition on officers from using force to punish or retaliate on a resident, a ban on searches based on alleged smells of cannabis, and a ban so-called consent searches during pedestrian or vehicle stops. 

A team of independent evaluators will monitor the city and police department’s progress on implementing the measures, which are mean to build community trust, curb discrimination in policing and reduce dangers for officers, according to a news release.

MPD and city officials are also required to develop robust and well-functioning accountability and oversight systems and conduct thorough investigations of officer misconduct.

Only the state’s court system can terminate the agreement, when and if it determines that the city and its police have reached full and sustainable compliance with its terms.

“With the eyes of the world on Minneapolis, entry of this order reflects this critically important moment in time,” MDHR Commissioner Rebecca Lucero said. 

“The agreement captures the scope of the necessary work ahead to address race-based policing, a plague on our City that harms everyone, especially people of color and Indigenous community members. We, at the Department, are committed to the work that lies ahead.”

The move comes a year after the human rights agency accused the city of a pattern of discriminatory policing for more than a decade, which preceded the death of George Floyd.

Floyd, 46, was murdered in May 2020 by former MPD police officer Derek Chauvin who kneeled on his neck during an arrest for more than eight minutes. Floyd’s death, among other incidents of police violence against Black citizens, sparked a nationwide movement against police brutality and social injustice.  

Chauvin was convicted of murdering Floyd in April 2021 and was sentenced to serve 22 and half years prison.