Mpls. Police Begin Training In Program To Build Community Trust

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minneapolis Police Department has begun a year-long training effort to help build relationships between officers and the communities they serve.

The project falls under a national initiative led by the Department of Justice.

The City of Lakes is one of six cities chosen for the training as part of the Building Community Trust and Justice initiative.

"The reality of it is: If we're not seen as a legitimate entity, we cannot have a level of public safety that we could unless we have public trust," Chief Janee Harteau said at a press conference Thursday.

The training examines how officers and other law enforcement officials interact with community members and how those encounters determine the public's opinions about the police.

The training will also focus on how the interactions determine a person's willingness to obey the law and highlight crime rates.

Police say evidence shows the community's perceptions of procedural justice can significantly impact public safety.

Every officer with the Minneapolis Police Department will receive the training this year. Training lasts three days and is already underway.

The goal is for the department's more than 850 officers to complete it by the end of December.