October 9, 2008 - A second activist will file legal papers tomorrow announcing his intentions to sue the city of St. Paul over police action tied to the Republican National Convention. More than 800 people were arrested during last month's RNC, and more civil-rights lawsuits are likely. But taxpayers won't pay any of the legal fees or losses stemming from the suits. That's because last year, the city of St. Paul negotiated a police-liability policy that will cover up to 10-million-dollars in damages.
October 24, 2008 - Latinos in the small south central town of Gaylord say police are racially discriminating against them in traffic stops. They say they will file discrimination complaints with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights against the city and its police department. Minnesota Public Radio News analyzed police records. Over a period of five years police wrote 45 percent of their tickets to Latinos. Latinos make up thirteen percent of the population. Half of their tickets were for driving without a license. Police Chief Dale Roiger says the police do not discriminate.
October 24, 2008 - A group of Latinos says it will file civil rights charges with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights against the city of Gaylord and its police department.
October 24, 2008 - Some latino residents in the small town of Gaylord are filing a complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. They say they are victims of racial discrimination and retaliation by the town's police department. Latinos in the small south central Minnesota town say police in Gaylord are targeting them in traffic stops. Gaylord's police chief has investigated the complaints. He says he found no evidence of discrimination.
October 25, 2008 - A new survey by non-partisan group Take Action Minnesota shows that the state's Hmong voters are most concerned about domestic issues this election. Health care and the economy ranked high in a poll of about 1,000 eligible voters. Hundreds of Hmong voters turned out Saturday to hear Senate candidates Al Franken, Norm Coleman and Dean Barkley speak about the issues in a town hall forum. Dai Thao is a community organizer with Take Action Minnesota. He says there is a big effort to register Minnesota's Hmong voters and get out the vote in November.
December 26, 2008 - St. Paul police say a pair of jewelry bandits are using a similar ruse to gain entry into the homes of Hmong families. Investigators say two men, described as Asian males in their 20s, are asking residents if they can step inside their homes to use a phone or bathroom. Once they're let in, they draw their guns or assault the victims before taking their jewelry. Police spokesman Peter Panos says homeowners should use extra caution if approached by strangers at the door.
December 26, 2008 - St. Paul police are cautioning residents to protect themselves from home invasions targeting Hmong families. Police spokesman Peter Panos says the robbers have been knocking on people's doors, asking residents in Hmong or English to borrow their phones or use their bathroom.
December 31, 2008 - Minneapolis city officials say they will continue the work of a federally mediated agreement designed to improve police community relations - even though they are not renewing the agreement. The five-year long process expires at the end of the month. Zach Metoyer was a member of the Police Community Relations Council. The group was formed in order to make sure the action items in the agreement are being followed. He says there's still more work to be done in order to improve police community relations.
December 31, 2008 - The end of 2008 also means the end of the voluntary mediation process designed to improve police/community relations in Minneapolis . The five-year-long program has expired. But community members who worked on the mediation say there's more work to be done and some say legal action may be needed to finish the job.
January 1, 2009 - Minneapolis city officials say they will continue the work of a federally mediated agreement designed to improve police community relations - even though they are not renewing the agreement. The five-year long process expires at the end of the month. Zach Metoyer was a member of the Police Community Relations Council. The group was formed in order to make sure the action items in the agreement are being followed. He says there's still more work to be done in order to improve police community relations.