Minneapolis officials promised this week to implement a series of changes aimed at avoiding a repeat of the problems that plagued the city's response to unrest following George Floyd's killing in 2020.
Minneapolis planning fell apart during riots, report says. Here is what authors say city should do
A synopsis of the roughly two dozen recommendations outlined in the report follows.
March 10, 2022 at 1:07AM
The suggestions outlined by Maryland-based risk management firm Hillard Heintze "will be put to use," Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement. "Rebuilding trust between community and local government relies on us taking concrete actions informed by this review's recommendations."
This is a synopsis of the roughly two dozen recommendations outlined in the 86-page report:
- The city should host a "series of community conversations" to allow residents to tell leaders how they were affected by the events that followed Floyd's death and provide ideas for improvements. It should also create a guide that "provides community members [with] advice on how to respond during civil unrest and other critical events" and how groups can seek exemptions from curfews to do crucial work.
- The city should create a similar "forum" for business owners to discuss how they were impacted by the events of 2020 and what types of assistance they need.
- The Police Department should consider starting a "Constructive Conversation Team," a group of officers specially trained to work with people during protests and unrest, listen to their concerns and help answer questions.
- The Police Department should strengthen its leadership training programs with a goal of allowing officers to "grow their skills" and building a more robust succession plan with candidates who can take over after key staff leave.
- The Police Department and Fire Department should "renew their focusing on adhering to" an Incident Command System that provides clearer framework for how city departments should coordinate during an emergency.
- The Police Department should create a "formal mechanism" for activating that system, identifying who will be responsible for creating a response plan, coordinating departments, and providing regular updates to key personnel. It should also designate supervisors in less active parts of the city to help create plans to handle unrelated 911 calls.
- The Fire Department should create its own policy outlining when and how to implement the Incident Command System.
- The city's Office of Emergency Management should "deliver annual refresher training" to department leaders, City Council members and "other City stakeholders" to make sure they understand the city's emergency response plan and their roles in it.
- The Police Department should update its policy on "civil disturbances" to emphasize the importance of First Amendment rights and "provide specific procedural guidance regarding crowd control beyond the use of crowd-control weapons." It should also provide "recurring hands-on crowd-control tactics training" for all officers.
- The police and fire departments should designate an "Incident Management Team" with high-level personnel who are well-trained and able to quickly help coordinate a response to large-scale emergencies. They should also ensure there is a plan for providing detailed briefings when shifts change and for sharing crucial information throughout their departments.
- The Police Department should "ensure strict supervisor assignment and oversight of less-lethal munitions," ensuring officers have proper training, clear rules for when they can and can't use the tactics, and stronger policies for documenting their use.
- The Police Department and Public Works Department should create plans outlining what types of resources they'll use to protect key infrastructure — and officials will request that help. The Fire Department should also improve its procedures for tracking equipment.
- The city should develop a "crisis communications plan" with instructions for responding to various scenarios. It should also "routinely review and update" a policy helping city spokespeople determine "when and what information to share with the public."
- The Fire Department should consider creating a new rank such as Chief of Safety or Chief of District to "add value to the organization in the long term and create command staff resiliency to respond to spontaneous incidents."
- The Office of Emergency Management should develop "formal protocols" for operating city-run cameras during crises.
- The Office of Emergency Management should coordinate efforts to do after-action reviews "soon after major events so the City can capture lessons learned." Together with other departments, it should "participate in regular tabletop trainings and other exercises to test and evaluate" their emergency plans and procedures for requesting help.
- The city should update its employee wellness plans, especially for first responders.
- The Police Department should create a formal process for pulling in outside help when it faces a surge in complaints.
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