April 19, 2006 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports on Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak state of the city address. Public safety was the top priority outlined in his address. Rybak delivered his speech Tuesday afternoon in north Minneapolis -- a part of the city that contains several high crime neighborhoods. The mayor focused much of his speech on plans to bring jobs, housing, commerce and hope there. Report also contains community commentary on reaction to Rybak’s speech.
April 26, 2006 - The Minneapolis Police Department has opened an internal investigation into two officers who were arrested early Tuesday morning in Columbia Heights. According to police reports, Officer Lindsay Anderson was arrested for drunk driving and Officer Steven Herron was arrested for obstruction of justice. Both have been removed from street duties. Minneapolis Police Department spokesman, Officer Ron Reier, says the department responded promptly to the news of the arrests.
May 24, 2006 - Attorneys in Minneapolis are trying to settle a lawsuit over the 2003 shooting of a police officer by another officer. Duy Ngo is suing the city for millions of dollars after being shot multiple times while working undercover. Ngo's attorney Bob Bennett says Ngo may never fully recover.
May 25, 2006 - Attorneys in Minneapolis are trying to settle a lawsuit over the 2003 shooting of a police officer by another officer. Duy Ngo is suing the city for millions of dollars after being shot multiple times while working undercover. Ngo's attorney Bob Bennett says Ngo may never fully recover.
June 6, 2006 - Two Minneapolis police officers are on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into allegations of police misconduct. Police officials say Lieutenants Rick Thomas and Mike Fossum were involved in an arrest late last month that is under investigation. The event happened at the Little Earth United Tribes housing development and was recorded by a video camera that belongs to the organization. Officials from Little Earth would not comment on what was captured on the tape. But they did say the alleged victim was not a resident of the development. American Indian activist Clyde Bellecourt, says he was contacted by a woman who believes she is related to the man.
June 6, 2006 - Minneapolis police officials say two lieutenants are the subject of an internal investigation following allegations that they used excessive force against a man they arrested late last month. Community activists say they've talked to witnesses who say the alleged victim was handcuffed and struck by the officers and placed in the back seat of a squad car with the windows rolled up on a hot day. Interim police chief Tim Dolan didn't comment directly on the allegations but says the investigation will be handled in a timely and professional manner. Dolan appeared this morning at a press conference held at the Little Earth United Tribes housing complex -- the site of the alleged incident. He was confronted by some community members who charged that one of the officers under investigation was known for bad behavior.
June 7, 2006 - Minneapolis police officials say two lieutenants are the subject of an internal investigation following allegations that they used excessive force against a man they arrested late last month. Community activists say they've talked to witnesses who say the alleged victim was handcuffed and struck by the officers and placed in the back seat of a squad car with the windows rolled up on a hot day. Interim police chief Tim Dolan didn't comment directly on the allegations but says the investigation will be handled in a timely and professional manner. Dolan appeared this morning at a press conference held at the Little Earth United Tribes housing complex -- the site of the alleged incident. He was confronted by some community members who charged that one of the officers under investigation was known for bad behavior.
June 24, 2006 - Members of the Police Community Relations Council in Minneapolis say there's been progress in talks between the council and the police department after a meeting yesterday. Members of the panel had threatened to quit because they say tensions between police and residents of color have risen since the departure of former Minneapolis Police Chief William McManus earlier this year. The council's co-chairman, Clyde Bellecourt, says he's seeking clarification from the US Justice Department on whether the panel is federally-mandated.
June 24, 2006 - Members of the Police Community Relations Council in Minneapolis say they've gotten assurances from interim police chief Tim Dolan that he's willing to try to work out problems between the council and the police department. The two sides met yesterday after some council members threatened to quit. The council was established in 2003 to help ease racial tension between city residents and the police department. The council's co-chairman, Clyde Bellecourt, says it's important to make the council work in light of the drastic jump in violent crime in Minneapolis , especially while the city searches for a new chief of police.
June 28, 2006 - Racial disparities in Minnesota's criminal justice system are still prevalent, say researchers from the Council on Crime and Justice. On Wednesday, the council released a summary of the research it has compiled on the subject. Council officials say African Americans are 15 times more likely than whites to be arrested for low-level offenses. Assistant Minneapolis police chief Sharon Lubinski says the department has been working on measures to reduce incidents and perceptions of biased policing. Some of those policies began after the department collected racial traffic stop data a few years ago.