Minnesota Agencies

The Council will identify strategies to improve relations between Minnesota communities and law enforcement officers, review best practices, and recommend specific reforms.

The Council will provide its Preliminary Policy Recommendations Report to the governor, the Minnesota Legislature, and the public by February 15, 2017. The Council shall provide all stakeholders with opportunities to give feedback prior to the Final Report's due date. The Council's Final Report shall be due by June 30, 2017.

On February 6, 2017, Governor Mark Dayton amended his executive order establishing the Council on Law Enforcement and Community Relations to give them an extra month to report their preliminary findings, with a new due date of March 17, 2017.

In October 2016, Governor Mark Dayton established this Council, stating: "It is essential that Minnesota's law enforcement and criminal justice systems work for all Minnesotans, including both our law enforcement officers and the communities they bravely serve. This Council is an important first step to ensuring greater trust, safety, and justice for all Minnesotans. I look forward to receiving the Council's recommendations."

The Council is charged with making independent policy recommendations to improve the relationship between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve, support the adoption of best practices in community and law enforcement relations, and expand access to law enforcement training programs.

Council Co-chair, Fourth District Judge Pamela G. Alexander said: "In order to build a stronger Minnesota, the police should reflect and be responsive to the cultural, racial, and gender diversity of the communities they serve. This will require engagement with the community to come up with policies and procedures that embrace the uniqueness of each community and engage in rigorous training to build trust. Training should include implicit bias, procedural justice, relationship based policing, community interaction, crisis intervention, and more. Only through mutual trust, respect, and an open mind can we create a harmonious Minnesota."

Grand Rapids Police Chief Scott Johnson, Council Co-Chair, said: "Policing is not done in a vacuum or apart from the community. Policing depends upon a foundation of collaboration and trust between the police and neighborhood residents. Our hope is that the members of this Council will be able to provide residents and police officers with practical ways that relationships and trust between the police and communities can be strengthened."

The Council may form the following Work Groups, which could address some of the proposals and recommendations submitted: Criminal Justice and Social Reform Work Group; Police Training Work Group; Law Enforcement Workplace and Policy Oversight and Diversity Recruitment and Retention Work Group; Community and Law Enforcement Health and Wellness Group; Policy Development and Implementation Work Group; and other work groups as the co-chairs shall authorize.

The Council consists of 15 voting members and 17 ex-officio members.

Voting members include one representative each from the following groups: Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association; Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST); Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association; Minnesota Sheriffs' Association; Minnesota Department of Public Safety; National Black, Latino, Asian, and Somali Police Officers Associations; NAACP, Minnesota; Minnesota Tribal Nations; Latino LEAD; Black Ministerial Alliance; Council on American-Islamic Relations; ISAIAH; Black Lives Matter; Minnesota County Attorneys Association; and Minnesota Youth Council.

Ex-officio members include one representative each from the following groups: Minnesota Department of Public Safety; Office of Gov. Mark Dayton and Lt. Governor Tina Smith; Minnesota Department of Human Rights; the family of Jamar Clark; the family of Philando Castile; National Baptist Convention (Minnesota); Coalition of Asian American Leaders; Minnesota Council of Non-Profits; League of Minnesota Cities; Minnesota Community Foundation; Minnesota Council on Foundations; Association of Minnesota Counties; Law Enforcement Labor Services of Minnesota; and one member each from both majority and minority parties in the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate (four total).

Fourth-District Judge Pamela G. Alexander, and Grand Rapids Police Chief, Scott Johnson shall serve as non-voting Co-Chairs of the Council.