Community Group To Work With Minneapolis Police Department To Make Reforms

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A call for effective leadership and needed reforms to public safety is being answered by the Unity Community Mediation Team.

They've reignited this memorandum of agreement in hopes of creating transformational reforms with the Minneapolis Police Department and better police-community relations.

That MOA was signed in 2003, but has been renewed by mutual agreements of all involved.

The agreement covers things like accountability of officers, complaints and discipline process, use of force, and diversifying the workforce.

What's different this time is the mediation team is already working with Minneapolis Police.

"Chief Arradondo wants to build a better relationship with police and community," said Deputy Chief Art Knight with the Minneapolis Police. "Everyone should feel the police department is their police department."

This group has filed complaints with the human rights department to get city lawmakers to stop what they call "forcing an aroma of anarchy in the city."

"We now re-notify the Minneapolis City Council to cease and desist with defunding of millions of dollars -- over $2 million of the Minneapolis Police Department," Rev. Ian Bethel said.

They believe the only way to address the historic grievances of Black, Indigenous and communities of color is to not defund police -- but work with them.

"These few bad apples they talking about or bad human beings we want them gone, but when you have no accountability and no consequences for their actions they are allowed to repeat what they do," Spike Moss said.

The Unity Community Mediation Team will begin its official work with MPD and federal mediators next Monday.