Brooklyn Center Proposes Police Policy Overhaul

Racial Reckoning: The Arc of Justice

Samantha HoangLong reports:

Less than a month after veteran police officer Kim Potter shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot presented Saturday a series of proposals that would revamp the city’s police policies and operations.

"This resolution is the first step to a community centered process that will ultimately remove police from traffic enforcement and create a new department of community safety and violence prevention," said Mayor Elliott.

The resolution would direct police officers to give citations instead of making arrests for any non-moving traffic infraction or non-felony warrant. This could prevent deaths like Daunte Wright’s, as officers tried to arrest him for a non-felony warrant.

The proposal also includes a “Community Response Department,” which would dispatch unarmed staff to respond to low-level traffic violations and mental health calls instead of police.

"Brooklyn Center can do better, Brooklyn Center must do more, and Brooklyn Center is ready for change," said Mayor Mike Elliott.

If approved by the city council, a committee of civilians and experts will work out the plan’s details and budget.

Audio for this story was provided by KARE11.

Meanwhile, the city released Potter’s service file late Wednesday, overviewing some of her 26 years working in the Brooklyn Center Police Department. The file includes a commendation from the police chief in 2007 for her handling of a both suicidal and homicidal suspect. It also noted a handful of reprimands.

Both the police chief and Potter resigned two days after the shooting. According to the police department, Potter grabbed her gun instead of her taser. Her next court hearing is May 17.

Audio credit: KARE 11