Minneapolis City Council votes for review of off-duty police contracts
The effort to review off-duty contracts comes more than three years after an audit found issues with them, including a decentralized system where hours are not formally tracked.
Public Safety
Will Attorney General Keith Ellison now get his extra criminal prosecutors?
Gone is the Republican majority in the state Senate, which repeatedly stalled Ellison’s plan as the GOP fumed over other issues like enforcement of executive orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Violence prevention, bail reform among public safety priorities for Minnesota lawmakers
Police accountability through licensing, reforming cash bail and banning no-knock warrants were among the legislative priorities listed by Minnesota lawmakers and officials during a criminal justice forum Monday night.
A primer on the marijuana legalization proposal that could become law in Minnesota
How soon? Who’s in charge? How high will taxes be? How will criminal records be expunged? MinnPost’s guide to the marijuana legalization bill being considered at the Legislature in 2023 answers these questions and more.
As flooding increases, Chicago looks to make basement housing safer
Chicago has experienced more frequent and severe storms in recent decades, putting immigrants and low income Chicagoans living in basement units at increased risk of flooding.
Survivors of gangs and gun violence, these women now help others navigate grief
Because of those experiences on the front lines, some people trust them more than they do the police. The women fill in the gaps for a community fighting economic inequality, homelessness, health disparities, and gun violence.
With or without court ruling, Minnesota lawmakers seek to restore ex-offender voting rights
A court case arguing that those convicted of felonies should have their voting rights restored when being released from prison has waited nearly 14 months for a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling. Meanwhile, DFL state lawmakers hope to change the law.
Brooklyn Center police recruitment video sparks concern over department’s culture
Outraged groups are calling for the mayor, police chief and city manager to denounce the video, as well as the firings of those involved in making and posting the video.
Outgoing Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington reflects on term
Harrington’s term included a pandemic and George Floyd’s murder by a then-Minneapolis police officer, which sparked global outrage and calls for racial equity in policing.
MinnPost’s guide to 7 things to watch at the Minnesota Legislature in 2023
From managing pent-up demands to navigating narrow majorities in both the House and Senate, all eyes are on DFL leaders in what could be a big year for both policy and the state budget.
From no-knock warrants to police leadership change in Minneapolis: 6 public safety stories that shaped 2022
Crime and criminal justice reform were top-of-mind for Minnesotans in 2022, but a tough-on-crime message didn’t seem to resonate with voters in November.
Hennepin County to expand police-embedded social workers to all cities in 2023
Starting at just five social workers three years ago, the program will now have nearly 10 times that number of social workers available to work alongside officers in all 45 cities across the county to more quickly provide resources to residents in need.
Q&A: New U of M Gun Violence Prevention Clinic hopes to prevent gun violence through litigation
The three-year pilot program will have students doing pro bono litigation in firearms law and the Second Amendment in an effort to prevent gun violence and grow the number of lawyers who have expertise in the area.
Minneapolis City Council proceeds with controversial police oversight body
Demand for accountability for police and more robust civilian oversight remains strong more than two years after George Floyd was murdered by a former Minneapolis Police officer. But critics say the new structure still doesn’t go far enough, and demonstrates the city’s lack of commitment to any meaningful citizen oversight over the department.
Rule change aims to prevent extremist group members from becoming Minnesota police officers
The POST board is expected to vote on Friday on changes to its licensing standards, which includes a provision to prohibit members and supporters of white supremacist and hate groups from becoming licensed law enforcement officers.
How Moriarty won the race for Hennepin County Attorney
Mary Moriarty defeated Martha Holton Dimick by nearly 16 percentage points in Tuesday’s Hennepin County attorney race.
Moriarty is new Hennepin County attorney; Witt the next sheriff
Moriarty, who won by a 15-point margin, pledged in her victory speech to fix parts of the legal system that have failed many.
Supporters of Holton Dimick and Moriarty on who they support for Hennepin County attorney and why
The dynamics of the Hennepin County attorney race might feel familiar to watchers of local politics — with a split between the more progressive and centrist parts of the voter base.
Brooklyn Center to vote on charter amendment to stifle mayor’s emergency powers
The question comes a year after ex-Brooklyn Center Kim Potter shot and killed Wright during a traffic stop in April, which led to civil unrest and dayslong protests in front of the Brooklyn Center Police Department.
Hennepin County sheriff candidates lay out priorities ahead of election
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office – which has more than 300 deputies and oversees the state’s largest jail – will have its first Black sheriff despite the victor in this race, but each candidate laid out different visions for how they would do the county’s top cop job.
