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.

JONES DAY OUT OF MINNEAPOLIS!

Jones Day is the fifth largest law firm in the US. They mostly represent large corporations but in the last election, they represented the Trump campaign in lawsuits trying to overturn the election results.

Jones Day has virtually taken over the government of the City of Minneapolis, working in the city attorney's office to prosecute protesters and others, defend the city against lawsuits by people hurt by police, and process complaints against the police in the Office of Police Conduct Review. They are negotiating the police federation contract for the city, and ensuring police get PTSD payouts. They are also defending the city against the US Department of Justice and Minnesota Department of Human Rights investigations. In other words, they are trying to stop the city from making progress on improving policing and ending police violence.

Initially, they were working for free for the city but have now secured contracts where they are being paid $500 or more an hour for work that should be done by the city attorney's office and other city staff for far less.

We don't need corporate hacks running our city and preventing us from holding the MPD accountable, all while grossly overcharging us. Tell Mayor Frey and the City Council: JONES DAY OUT OF MINNEAPOLIS NOW!

• Flyer: Jones Day Exposed!
• Podcast: Jones Day's Takeover of Minneapolis
• Sign our Petition: Jones Day OUT Now!

$$$MINNEAPOLIS POLICE RAKING IT IN WITH PTSD CLAIMS$$$ After a state law change made it a slam dunk for any cop claiming PTSD to take an early retirement with a hefty payout, 135 Minneapolis cops have taken these payouts at an average of $169,000 each. The total so far is $22,798,250 with more to come, according to Ron Meuser, the main attorney behind these claims.  It doesn't appear that the city is doing much to investigate or challenge these claims.  The Jones Day law firm (see above) is handling the claims (badly) for the city.  The amount of these payouts threatens to break the city's budget. Most of the cops who got this payout have been the worst offenders in terms of harming the community, with long lists of complaints and lawsuits. See our spreadsheet of the payouts so far along with the officers' complaint and lawsuit records.  It's likely that the many of the people harmed by police in the uprising after the killing of George Floyd will get less in payouts than the cops who shot, gassed and beat them.  Already the two main cops who beat Jaleel Stallings have taken these PTSD payouts.

STOLEN LIVES JUSTICE FUND We refer to people who have lost their lives through the actions of law enforcement as Stolen Lives.  CUAPB helps many families of stolen lives to gather evidence in their cases, hire an attorney, deal with media, etc.  We also operate a fund to help pay for independent autopsies, investigators, legal fees and other needs that allow families to achieve a measure of justice. We have started a newsletter that will feature cases we are working on and the impact of the Stolen Lives Justice Fund in the lives of families.  Please check out these editions.  Please consider supporting the fund by becoming a monthly sustainer.  Your help makes a world of difference to the families of people lost to police violence. Stolen Lives Justice Fund Newsletter #1 (October 2021) Stolen Lives Justice Fund Newsletter #2 (November 2021) Stolen Lives Justice Fund Newsletter #3 (December 2021) Stolen Lives Justice Fund Newsletter #4 (January-February 2022)

MDHR and DOJ INVESTIGATIONS of the MINNEAPOLIS POLICE

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) recently completed an investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department.  You can read the result of their investigation here.

The US Department of Justice is in the midst of their investigation of the Minneapolis Police.  Like the MDHR, they are looking at the use of force by the police and whether the police engage in racial discrimination.  They are also looking at the use of force against protesters and police treatment of people with disabilities, including people living with mental illness.  We have asked them to look into MPD treatment of people experiencing homelessness and the MPD’s poor quality of investigations into murders of people of color.

Our goal is to make sure these investigations are informed by the experiences and demands of the community.

What's the timeline for these investigations?

The MDHR investigation is complete.  The DOJ investigation is expected to continue until the end of 2022.

What will come out of these investigations?

The MDHR is putting together a consent decree--a list of required changes.  The consent decree will then be presented in court and Minneapolis will be ordered to follow it.  The city risks sanctions (fines) if they don't follow it.  The MDHR is gathering community input and expects to submit the consent decree to the court in September.  They will also select a monitor

If the DOJ investigation is done well, they will learn about the many issues with policing in Minneapolis.  They will also put together a consent decree.  If the city doesn’t follow it, the federal government could take over our police department, a process called receivership.

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Help decide what should become part of the consent decree.
• Use this form to share your experience and ideas with the MDHR and DOJ.
• Help us collect other people’s experiences and ideas.

You can also share your ideas for the consent decree directly with the MDHR here.

You can also report your experiences with the Minneapolis Police directly to the DOJ. Call 866-432-0268 or email [email protected]

This is an important opportunity to address our policing issues—we all need to be part of the solution!

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

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