The Minneapolis City Council has approved a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, marking a significant step towards police reforms in the city. The consent decree, stemming from a scathing Department of Justice report, mandates changes to police training, use-of-force policies, and accountability measures. The agreement aims to address systemic racial discrimination and enhance public safety following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department 's Civil Rights Division, flanked by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, left, and Chief Brian O'Hara of the Minneapolis Police Department, speaks at a news conference after the Minneapolis City Council approved a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice approving a federal consent decree , at the U.S. Courthouse in Minneapolis, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.
The 171-page agreement, filed in federal court shortly after the council voted 12-0 to approve it, says the department will require its officers to “promote the sanctity of human life as the highest priority in their activities." It says officers must ”carry out their law enforcement duties with professionalism and respect for the dignity of every person.
“George Floyd’s death was not just a tragedy, it was a galvanizing force for the city and for the nation," Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said at a news conference. "All eyes remain on Minneapolis, and with this consent decree, we now have a roadmap for reform that will help this community heal while strengthening trust between law enforcement and the people they serve.
Council member Robin Wonsley said in a statement before the vote that she has “no faith that the Trump administration will be a serious partner" in implementing the agreement. The Justice Department has opened 12 similar investigations of state and local law enforcement agencies since April 2021, many in response to high-profile deaths at the hands of police. Assuming court approval, Clarke said, the department will be enforcing 16 policing “pattern and practices” settlements across the country. She said 30 years of experience shows that they lead to “important and tangible progress toward better, safer, and lawful policing.
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