BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — It's been nearly six months since Daunte Wright was shot and killed by former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter.
Wright was pulled over for having expired tabs before he was shot while trying to get back into his car after police ran his license and saw he had warrants.
Potter says she meant to reach for her taser, not her gun, during that traffic stop.
In the days of protests that followed, leaders promised police reform, and as of this week, the first of several promised changes is officially in place.
The change is part of the Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety and Violence Prevention Resolution.
Both men were killed by Brooklyn Center police.
The change relates to the police department's "cite and release" policy for misdemeanors and low level traffic violations like broken tail lights, or expired tabs.
"If somebody really is doing something that is a low-level offense, you give them a ticket and they can have their day in court," said Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott.
It's a move he hopes will limit jail overcrowding, but more importantly save lives.
"I truly believe that if this were implemented prior to April 11th, our son would still be here with us today," said Daunte Wright's mother Katie Wright.
Brooklyn Center police have had a "cite and release" policy like this in place since 2015, but this new resolution comes with a few updates.
"It has the addition of including gross misdemeanors, and not just misdemeanors," said Elliott.
It also involves a data-tracking component for police accountability.
"What you want to improve you must measure," said Elliot. He went on to say, "If the police do end up arresting someone for one of these low-level offenses then they need to state why."
Elliott says it's an all-hands-on-deck update involving both city leaders and police to offer a safer way of serving.
"We have to continue everything that we can to improve the system so that we can achieve safer outcomes," said Elliott.
This is the first of four phases of the resolution. The others, including addressing the department's "use of force" policy will roll out over the next few months.