[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today announced executive action on community safety and police reform. The Governor’s actions will increase transparency and accountability among local and state law enforcement agencies, as well as investing in violence prevention programs in communities across the state. The Governor’s announcement comes as the Minnesota House and Senate prepare to vote on a bipartisan public safety plan to make Minnesota’s criminal justice system more fair, while making new investments to keep communities safe.

“Right now, we have an opportunity to create safer communities for all Minnesotans by building a public safety system focused on transparency, accountability, and violence prevention,” said Governor Walz. “These policy changes and increased investments in safety—together with the Minnesota Police Accountability Act signed into law last summer and the bipartisan public safety plan this legislative session—get us closer to a system of public safety that truly protects all Minnesotans.”

“Creating meaningful, lasting change that makes our communities safer and dismantles generations of systemic racism in our state takes hard work and commitment,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “I am proud of today’s executive actions on police reform and community safety. Together, we are getting closer to the ultimate goal of ensuring that every person in Minnesota is safe, valued, and protected. We all have more work to do.”

The Governor’s actions announced today include investing $15 million in American Rescue Plan funding to community violence prevention grants, enacting policy changes to increase transparency and accountability through the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), and directing law enforcement agencies within state government to develop a policy that will allow families suffering the loss of a loved one in a deadly force encounter with police to view video of the incident within five days.

Investing $15 million in community violence prevention grants

The Governor has directed $15 million of American Rescue Plan flexible funds towards community violence intervention, survivor support grants, and innovations in community safety grants. The funding will fill critical gaps in Minnesota’s public safety response as the pandemic has had a disproportionate response on communities of color.

Increasing transparency and accountability of the POST Board

The Governor has directed his administration to support a data and process review to identify what data the POST Board collects and organize it on a public-facing dashboard. He is also directing a follow through, making the community central to the work, on the Board’s current efforts to overhaul the rules of the board, including the complaint investigations and a full review of compliance processes. The Board completed a top-to-bottom audit in 2020 and is working toward numerous reforms in process and how the profession of policing is trained and held accountable through licensure.

Enacting policy changes to state video footage

Governor Walz has directed law enforcement agencies within state government to develop a policy that will allow families suffering the loss of a loved one in a deadly force encounter with police to view video of the incident within five days.

The Governor’s directive follows the inclusion of his funding proposal in the public safety bill for body-worn cameras for every officer who serves with the following state law enforcement agencies:

• Minnesota State Patrol

• Bureau of Criminal Apprehension

• Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement

• Department of Natural Resources Enforcement

• Department of Corrections Fugitive Unit

As a part of implementing body-worn cameras, state law requires each agency to develop a policy for their use. Agencies must provide for public comment and input, and post the written policy on their websites before body-worn cameras can be used in the field. Once the public safety bill is signed into law, state law enforcement agencies will begin development of their policies to ensure compliance with state law.

In the coming days, the Minnesota Legislature is expected to take action on an omnibus public safety budget bill. That bill includes reform measures such as restrictions on the use of no-knock warrants, increasing mental health response in crisis calls, reforming civil asset forfeiture by law enforcement, and provides body cameras for law enforcement at the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Natural Resources. The bill also overhauls how Minnesota enforces safety standards and reforms use of force guidelines in Minnesota jails and prisons.

Last summer, Governor Walz signed the Minnesota Police Accountability Act to strengthen transparency and oversight, ban chokeholds, and expand mental health de-escalation. A large number of the proposals included were recommendations from the Deadly Force Encounters Working Group. The diverse group convened by Attorney General Keith Ellison and Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington — the only initiative of its kind in the country — completed six months of public hearings and listening sessions across Minnesota. Through that process, they put forward 28 recommendations and 33 action steps covering community healing and engagement, prevention and training, investigations and accountability, policy and legal implications, and officer wellness.