I am a bit baffled by all of the people who have written in to this list and
alleged that that the Minneapolis Police Department is somehow out of
control. The Police Department has one of the largest oversight mechanisms
of any local governmental entity. They have their own internal
investigations. They have the Council and Mayor, as noted in previous
posts. They have a separate department, the Civilian Police Review, a which
was created just to provide citizens a way of lodging complaints against the
Police Department. And if that isn't successful, there is the whole court
system, often both state and federal.
Now I haven't heard of a rising number of complaints at the Civilian Police
Review. In fact, I had heard that complaints were down even though citizen
contacts were up (this was a year or two though). I haven't seen a huge
increase in payouts from settling wrongful action suits. So where's the
evidence supporting these allegations? The only fact that I saw posted on
this board was that there were five shootings by the police this year and
the alternate explanation is that there were several incidents of violence
towards police which required deadly force for the officers to protect their
lives.
Also, for the folks who wrote in on this topic, what part of the police
oversight system do you think is not functioning? What changes do you think
need to be made to the oversight system? So far, no one has made any
comments about what needs to change systemically.
Carol
----- Original Message -----
From: Andy Driscoll <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2000 1:55 PM
Subject: Re: Proposal to discuss police conduct
> > This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not
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>
> I would add to Jordan's lucid discussion the fact that the Council in
> Minneapolis, in addition to their legislative powers, possesses heavy
powers
> in managing city government - more than most municipalities. To suggest
the
> Council has no role in the police department policy ignores both realities
> and it is the Council's responsibility to step forward to set policies
that
> the chief and his minions must adhere to - despite all of his efforts to
> negate it.
>
> This is a police department in drastic need of overhaul and major reins on
> its street behavior - but, of course, this has been true for many decades
> and few, if anyone will act on this need while more and more people die
and
> more rights are stifled.
>
> Andy Driscoll
> --
> "Whatever keeps you from your work is your work."
> Albert Camus
> The Driscoll Group/Communications
> Writing/Graphics/Strategic Development
> 835 Linwood Ave.
> St. Paul, MN 55105
> 651-293-9039
> email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> From: "Jordan S. Kushner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 00:10:00 -0600
> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: Proposal to discuss police conduct
>
>
> Ms. Collier,
>
> I think you have definitely read the City Charter incorrectly. Chapter 3,
> section 4 of the City Charter provides the executive committee is
responsble
> for the appointment and removal of the police chief. The executive
> committee includes the mayor, the city council president and up to three
> other city council members chosen by the council. Any appointment or
> removal must further be approved by a majority of
> the city council under both Ch. 3, sec. 4, and Ch. 6, sec. 1. The city
> council can also set forth the procedures to be followed in selecting a
> police chief.
>
> The city council is therefore involved both directly and indirectly in the
> hiring and firing of the police chief. Although the Mayor has ultimitate
> authority over day-to-day decision making in the police department, the
city
> council can have significant policy influence through the budget and other
> resolutions. All city council candidates should therefore be questioned
> about their perspectives on the police
> department.
>
> Jordan Kushner
> Powderhorn
>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> >
> > The way the city charter is written, the Chief of Police is responsible
only
> > to the Mayor. Please remember, the City Council members have little if
any
> > authority over the police. Therefore, the only candidates that should
be
> > questioned on the matter of police should be the mayoral candidates.
They
> > are the only ones who will be able to make any changes.
> >
> > Karen Collier
> > Linden Hills
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> --MS_Mac_OE_3058272669_1649637_MIME_Part
> Content-type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
> Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable
>
> <HTML>
> <HEAD>
> <TITLE>Re: Proposal to discuss police conduct</TITLE>
> </HEAD>
> <BODY>
> I would add to Jordan's lucid discussion the fact that the Council in
Minne=
> apolis, in addition to their legislative powers, possesses heavy powers in
m=
> anaging city government - more than most municipalities. To suggest the
Coun=
> cil has no role in the police department policy ignores both realities and
i=
> t is the Council's responsibility to step forward to set policies that the
c=
> hief and his minions must adhere to - despite all of his efforts to negate
i=
> t.<BR>
> <BR>
> This is a police department in drastic need of overhaul and major reins on
=
> its street behavior - but, of course, this has been true for many decades
an=
> d few, if anyone will act on this need while more and more people die and
mo=
> re rights are stifled.<BR>
> <BR>
> Andy Driscoll<BR>
> -- <BR>
> "Whatever keeps you from your work <I>is </I> your work." <BR>
>
&n=
>
bsp;
=
>
&nbs
=
>
p; &n
=
>
bsp; Albert
=
> Camus<BR>
> The Driscoll Group/Communications<BR>
> Writing/Graphics/Strategic Development<BR>
> 835 Linwood Ave.<BR>
> St. Paul, MN 55105<BR>
> 651-293-9039<BR>
> email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <BR>
> <BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
> <B>From: </B>"Jordan S. Kushner"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]=
> u><BR>
> <B>Reply-To: </B>[EMAIL PROTECTED]<BR>
> <B>Date: </B>Fri, 24 Nov 2000 00:10:00 -0600<BR>
> <B>To: </B>"Multiple recipients of list"
<mpls-issues@freedom2=
> .mtn.org><BR>
> <B>Subject: </B>Re: Proposal to discuss police conduct<BR>
> <BR>
> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
> <BLOCKQUOTE>Ms. Collier,<BR>
> <BR>
> I think you have definitely read the City Charter incorrectly.
Chapte=
> r 3, section 4 of the City Charter provides the executive committee is
respo=
> nsble for the appointment and removal of the police chief. The
executi=
> ve committee includes the mayor, the city council president and up to
three =
> other city council members chosen by the council. Any appointment or
r=
> emoval must further be approved by a majority of<BR>
> the city council under both Ch. 3, sec. 4, and Ch. 6, sec. 1. The
cit=
> y council can also set forth the procedures to be followed in selecting a
po=
> lice chief.<BR>
> <BR>
> The city council is therefore involved both directly and indirectly in the
=
> hiring and firing of the police chief. Although the Mayor has
ultimita=
> te authority over day-to-day decision making in the police department, the
c=
> ity council can have significant policy influence through the budget and
oth=
> er resolutions. All city council candidates should therefore be
questi=
> oned about their perspectives on the police<BR>
> department.<BR>
> <BR>
> Jordan Kushner<BR>
> Powderhorn<BR>
> <BR>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> ><BR>
> > The way the city charter is written, the Chief of Police is
responsibl=
> e only<BR>
> > to the Mayor. Please remember, the City Council members have
lit=
> tle if any<BR>
> > authority over the police. Therefore, the only candidates that
s=
> hould be<BR>
> > questioned on the matter of police should be the mayoral candidates.
&=
> nbsp;They<BR>
> > are the only ones who will be able to make any changes.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Karen Collier<BR>
> > Linden Hills<BR>
> ><BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
> </BODY>
> </HTML>
>
>
> --MS_Mac_OE_3058272669_1649637_MIME_Part--
>
