BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — Brooklyn Center's City Council is pumping the brakes on changes to how its police officers can do their jobs.
The changes have been in the works since shortly after former officer Kim Potter shot and killed Daunte Wright in 2021.
Wright was pulled over for expired tabs and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror — two infractions that a safety group, which formed after his death, are trying to change.
Wright's mother is one of several members of the Community Safety & Violence Prevention Implementation Committee and spoke at Monday's council meeting.
"I was super optimistic in coming in here," Wright said after learning council was prepared to adopt the group's proposed reforms, but then tabled it.
The city's police chief even spoke out, casting doubt on the reforms, followed by several council members.
"I honestly do not feel comfortable implementing or saying these to my officers," said Chief Kellace McDaniel.
"The mere fact that the chief stated that he's uncomfortable with it, kind of confirms what I was feeling," said council member Dan Jerzak. "I don’t have all the answers."
"It's that we have not put all parties at the table and negotiate," said council member Kris Lawrence-Anderson. "And to get the buy-in from the officers who are going to be doing this work."
The group is proposing prohibiting police from pulling over drivers solely for certain violations, including invalid or expired registrations, non-functioning license plate lights, an inoperative muffler and cracked or discolored windshields. It is also recommending changes to consent searches saying, "no operator or owner-passenger of a motor vehicle shall be requested to consent to a search by a law enforcement officer of his or her motor vehicle, unless there exists probable cause of criminal activity".
Wright is urging the council to vote soon.
"Because if you don't, it would be a huge insult and somebody else will die," said Wright.
The head of the police department's union, Law Enforcement Labor Services, says that the policies already in place are part of state law and only the legislature can make modifications.
But other group members say it's compiled national statistics and data to support its cause, citing other cities that have adopted similar policies.
" It's a lot of misconception about pro-police and anti-police and that's unfortunate here," said group member John Solomon. "We all want to work together with the police and we want to make this community better."
The city council doesn't expect to vote on this until at least mid-December. In response, a city spokesperson emailed KARE 11 this statement: "The City of Brooklyn City Council deliberated on traffic stops and consent search policies at their October 23, 2023, City Council meeting. The City Council requested further dialogue with all parties who helped to craft the policy recommendations to help inform their decision-making on these items. This meeting will be scheduled in the near future, with the items coming back to the City Council for a vote shortly after."
The city council is also in a race against time because Chief McDaniel is retiring in January and it's unclear who will take his spot, which could put the process in limbo.
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