State-run human rights probe finds discrimination by Minneapolis Police Department

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Wednesday published the findings of its civil rights probe into the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) following a two-year investigation that was launched days after George Floyd’s killing at the hands of city police.

The state agency found that the city of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department engaged in an unlawful pattern or practice of racial discrimination over the last decade.

The investigation found that MPD officers use higher rates of more severe force against black individuals than white individuals in similar circumstances.

Police data showed that 63% of all use of force incidents that MPD officers recorded were against black individuals, though black people make up about 19% of the Minneapolis population, according to the agency’s 72-page report.

“Officers are not held accountable because of ineffective accountability and oversight systems, which contribute to a pattern of discriminatory policing,” the report says.

The investigation also found that MPD officers are more likely to stop vehicles with people of color and Indigenous individuals because of their race and that they treat black and white individuals differently during traffic stops because of race.

The report says MPD officers “use covert social media to target black leaders, black organizations, and elected officials without a public safety objective.”

“Some MPD officers and supervisors use racist, misogynistic, and disrespectful language,” the report says, which adds that “officers are trained to be aggressive towards community members, escalating situations and often using inappropriate levels of force.”

Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero said at a press briefing that “this pattern of race-based policing is caused primarily by an organizational culture” involving “flawed training,” “deficient” accountability systems, and a lack of action on the part of city and police leadership.

The agency said it will work with the city of Minneapolis to develop a consent decree to require changes within the police department.

Officials said they would be seeking to enter a court-ordered agreement with the city of Minneapolis to halt the practices and implement changes in the police department requiring independent oversight.

“Race-based policing is unlawful and harms everyone, especially people of color and Indigenous community members, sometimes costing community members their lives,” Rebecca Lucero, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, said in a statement.