Court Enforceable Agreement
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the City of Minneapolis reached a court enforceable agreement on March 31, 2023, which the court approved on July 13, 2023.
Transformational Changes
The court enforceable agreement requires the City and Minneapolis Police Department to make transformational changes to address race-based policing.
As shown in the graphic, this transformational change requires a culture of continuous learning based on humanity and civil rights, which is a core foundation to having and enforcing clear policies, training on those policies, and providing transparent assessment of the practices and outcomes for both community members and police officers.
An independent team will support the City and MPD, monitor their progress, engage with community members and police officers, and provide public reports.
The agreement can only be terminated by the court when the City and MPD have reached full, effective, and sustained compliance with the terms in the agreement.
The agreement contains many provisions that are based on what Minneapolis community members and MPD officers shared during extensive engagement conducted by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
What Community Members Shared
Throughout the summer of 2022, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights worked with the Minnesota Justice Research Center to organize events across Minneapolis, including events with those most impacted by race-based policing.
Summary:
- Community members want MPD to move away from a culture of violence to a culture that prioritizes humanity.
- Community members want MPD to prioritize building relationships.
- Community members want the City and MPD to be held accountable.
What Police Officers Shared
In August 2022, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights worked with 21 CP Solutions to hold a total of 15 focus groups at all MPD precincts with officers of all ranks and assignments.
Summary:
- MPD officers say that they receive too little guidance and training on policies that are overly long and convoluted – which leads to misunderstanding, confusion, and concern.
- MPD officers want more comprehensive health and wellness programs and services.
- MPD officers shared they lack confidence in and/or are frequently frustrated by MPD’s information and technology systems.
What to Know About Court Enforceable Agreements
- Binding and enforceable. A court enforceable agreement is a legal agreement that is submitted to the court after the parties have reached a settlement. Once approved by the court, the agreement is binding and enforceable on all parties through ongoing oversight by the court.
- They have many names. Court enforceable agreements are also often referred to as court enforceable settlement agreements, consent orders, or consent decrees.
- Used in Minnesota. Under the Walz-Flanagan administration, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights has entered into several consent decrees.
- Provide a Roadmap for Change. The U.S. Department of Justice and other state government enforcement entities have similarly entered into court enforceable agreements with cities across the country to address unlawful policing and to provide a roadmap for change.
Selected Court Documents
- Court Enforceable Agreement filed by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the City of Minneapolis
- Court Enforceable Agreement signed by Judge Janisch
- Joint Stipulation requesting Judge Janisch to extend deadlines so the monitoring team application could be re-opened so the team can monitor both the state agreement and an anticipated federal agreement.
- Order from Judge Janisch approving the extension
- Order from Judge Janisch denying Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis' Motion to Intervene