Minneapolis is moving forward with a system to identify police officers with the potential for misconduct and head off problems with early intervention.
To pay for the effort, Mayor Jacob Frey wants to tap a $700,000 grant from the Pohlad Family Foundations, which would also help cover the costs of getting new mental health response teams up and running.
During a committee meeting Wednesday, City Council members raised concerns about the grant and program, saying they had bypassed normal city procedures and that members had rejected a similar proposal in the past.
"There should have been a moment for us to ask questions," said City Council Member Steve Fletcher, adding later: "I just think, on principle, we can't give up the very minimal level of oversight that we have."
The question of whether to buy an early intervention system has dogged the city for years. Supporters have argued it could help reduce violent incidents, while others have questioned whether there would be thorough follow-up to ensure the program is effective.
The computer programs track a variety of characteristics to try to spot officers who could use help. That could include statistics on use of force, sick time, complaints and the nature of the calls they're handling.
"We want to make sure that we're mitigating risk before it gets to that point," Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said in a news conference Tuesday. "In any industry, we want to increase the performance of our employees."
In 2014, the U.S. Justice Department reviewed the Police Department at the request of former Chief Janeé Harteau and recommended that the city create a computer tracking system to identify potentially troublesome officers.
