Communities United Against Police Brutality^TM is a Twin-Cities based organization that was created to deal with police brutality on an ongoing basis. We work on the day-to-day abuses as well as taking on the more extreme cases. Our overriding goal is to create a climate of resistance to abuse of authority by police organizations and to empower local people with a structure that can take on police brutality and actually bring it to an end. We provide support for survivors of police brutality and families of victims so they can reclaim their dignity and join the struggle to end police brutality.

Update on MDHR Consent Decree with Minneapolis

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) completed an investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department.  You can read the result of their investigation here.  The MDHR found widespread discrimination and problem conduct.  As a result, they negotiated a consent decree with the city.  A consent decree is a court-enforceable agreement for a list of changes the city and police department must make. 

The consent decree is made up of 13 parts that address many areas of policing including non-biased policing, use of force, searches, seizures and arrests, accountability, and other important aspects of the MPD’s interactions with the community.  Also included are measures on training and officer wellness.  Some parts are very good, others are weak and deferential to the MPD.  Our analysis of the agreement is here.

What does all of this mean for the community?

The agreement between MDHR and the city was signed by Judge Karen Janisch on July 13, 2023.  Although the community was allowed no role during the negotiations, Judge Janisch ruled that the only way the community could intervene in the case is through amicus "friend of the court" briefs.  CUAPB and two other organizations went through enormous effort and expense (filing fees alone were over $500) to submit briefs.  Our brief is here.  Our concern is that the agreement includes a provision that allows the police federation contract to override the agreement.  It also defines coaching as an acceptable way to deal with serious complaints, keeping them secret--the very issue that is in court right now.  Despite telling the community that the only way we could have a say in the agreement is through an amicus brief, Judge Janisch disrespectfully tossed all of the briefs by claiming the community was trying to get her to "blue line" parts of the agreement when what we specifically asked is for her not to approve it until the MDHR and city fixed it.

This means that the ONLY way the community can have any involvement in this agreement is to show up at every opportunity to hold the city and MDHR accountable for real change.  We will have to watch this process closely every step of the way. 

What's next?

The city and MDHR have selected Effective Law Enforcement for All (ELEFA) for the Independent Evaluator (monitor).  ELEFA is a strong choice with experience monitoring consent decrees in other cities.  The goal now is to make sure this team works extensively with the community and hears our voices. Monitoring CANNOT be about just checking the boxes of what the city says it has accomplished--ELEFA has to verify with the community that the changes are actually happening in the streets.

Proposed Policy Changes

Under the consent decree, the city is required to issue new policies in the areas of use of force, nondiscriminatory policing, policing of youth, stops/searches/arrests and other areas. The consent decree also requires the city to give the community 45 days to review those policies and provide feedback and recommendations.

REVIEWING THESE PROPOSED POLICIES AND GIVING FEEDBACK IS CRITICAL!  It's clear, for example, that the community's view of use of force is very different from that of police. In their use of force policy, the MPD classified the pointing of a gun as a level 1 use of force, the lowest level. We have urged that it be considered a LEVEL 2 use of force because members of the community find having a gun pointed at them utterly terrifying. Classifying it as level 1 trivializes the impact it has in addition to lowering the level of force review. Further, a deadly weapon should never be pointed at anyone unless the use of deadly force is potentially justified. It's an example of how police perceptions don't match community perceptions. We hope to convince the city to make this change as well as our other recommendations. As the city continues to release new draft policies, we continue to review them and submit recommendations. You can see these recommendations below.  Contact us at [email protected] if you want to help with this work.

CUAPB policy recommendations:
Use of Force Policies (14 policies)
Values and Anti-Discrimination
Emergency Medical Response
Transport of Arrestees
Nondiscriminatory Policing and Procedural Justice (2 policies)
Stop, Search and Arrest Policies (23 policies)
Youth Policies (18 policies)--also reviewed by Strategies for Youth
Body-Worn Cameras and In-Car Cameras
Accountability Policies (9 policies)
Training Policies (3 policies)

How you can be involved:

You can provide feedback on policies and other parts of the city's implementation here.  In addition, as the city begins to work on implementing the requirements of the consent decree, ELEFA must check in regularly with the community about how the city is doing.  Take advantage of every opportunity to give them an honest assessment about whether the city and the MPD are making the changes that need to be made.

The bottom line is that it is still up to the community to make sure the MDHR consent decree brings about the changes we need.

DOJ INVESTIGATION of the MINNEAPOLIS POLICE

On June 16, 2023 the US Department of Justice released their report on their investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department.  They looked at the use of force by the police and whether the police engaged in racial discrimination.  They also looked at the use of force against protesters and police treatment of people with disabilities, including people living with mental illness.  They found unequivocal proof of widespread use of excessive force, discrimination against Black and Indigenous people, violations of people's First Amendment rights, and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the city's treatment of people experiencing mental health crises. We contributed over 2300 written testimonies from the community and provided them with several opportunities to meet with the community to inform their investigation.  We also took all that we learned from our community events and crafted a People's Consent Decree.  It's easy to see that community input is deeply embedded in the report and the resulting consent decree.  You can see our press conference about the report here. The DOJ Consent Decree As a result of the investigation, the DOJ and the city negotiated a consent decree--a court-enforceable agreement with a list of required changes. The consent decree was filed in federal court on January 6. On that same day, CUAPB filed a brief (request to the court) to be an amicus in the case to ensure the community will be at the table.  We've been eagerly waiting for the judge to sign both documents. However, on January 17--the last day the judge could have signed the consent decree before Trump took office--the Minneapolis Police Federation filed a motion to be named an intervenor in the case. In other words, they asked the judge to make them a party to the agreement. This is the same motion the judge rejected in the MDHR consent decree. It appears that their real purpose was to stall the judge signing on the consent decree until after the inauguration because Trump has said he will kill all consent decrees by forcing the DOJ to withdraw from them.  IMPORTANT: UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE DOJ CONSENT DECREE On May 21, 2025 the DOJ submitted a motion to withdraw from the consent decree.  CUAPB filed a motion in opposition and included 51 exhibits. CUAPB Motion in Opposition

ENDING POLICE-ONLY RESPONSES TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CALLS People with untreated mental illnesses are a staggering 16 times more likely than others to be shot and killed by police.  Fully 50% of people killed by police had a disability.  The most appropriate responders to mental health crisis calls are mental health crisis teams.  The Mental Health Work Group of CUAPB is working to end police-only responses to mental health crises.  We passed Travis' Law to ensure 911 call centers send mental health crisis teams to these calls.  We need help to understand how well counties across the state are implementing Travis' Law.

ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

Join CUAPB supporters on Facebook, Twitter (@cuapbmpls) and Instagram (cuapbmn).  Our Facebook page is regularly updated with CUAPB activities, news articles, and relevant information. WEEKLY MEETINGS Want to get involved?  The best way is to attend our weekly meetings. CUAPB Weekly Meetings Every Saturday at 1:30 p.m. 4200 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis We have gone back to in-person meetings but have call-in and video conferencing options.  Email [email protected] for information on joining the meeting remotely. SUPPORT CUAPB We're an all-volunteer organization and do a ton of work with people power.  However, funds are needed for office costs, phones for our hotline, copwatch equipment, court filing fees, assistance to families dealing with the effects of police brutality, and other expenses.  You can help!  Please mail your donations to 4200 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 or donate through our Paypal account by clicking on the button on this page. Thanks so much for supporting us. We are 100% committed to empowering the community and ending police brutality but we can only do what we do with your support.

Communities United Against Police Brutality^TM

HOTLINE: 612-874-STOP (612-874-7867)