Federally-mandated police reforms in Minneapolis could be tossed out

Just two weeks after sweeping police reforms were agreed upon by the city of Minneapolis and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), it appears that agreement, called a consent decree, could get tossed out.

Justice Department to review all agreements

What we know:

In internal memos obtained by the Associated Press, new DOJ leadership told staff of the Civil Rights Division to pause any new investigations or litigation.

It also said any agreements with police departments approved by the Biden administration, particularly those within the last 90 days, would be reconsidered.

The backstory:

On Jan. 6, the Minneapolis City Council voted to approve the federal consent decree, which outlined sweeping reforms in how the Minneapolis police handled things like use of force, pursuits, training and discipline. It came in the wake of a DOJ investigation in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

Rush to get decree approved

Negotiations on what the decree would contain had gone on for months, but in the weeks leading up to the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the city felt the pressure to get it finalized.

The day it was approved, recognizing that the incoming President Trump had repeatedly criticized such agreements, Mayor Jacob Frey insisted "this agreement is rock solid and our commitment to it, regardless of the circumstances, is also rock solid."

City of Minneapolis vows nothing will change

What's next:

The consent decree has yet to be signed by the federal judge assigned to review it. That puts it in even more jeopardy of not taking effect.

But Frey insists this is irrelevant because they’ll abide by the terms regardless.

In a statement to FOX 9, the mayor said "from day one, I’ve made it clear the terms outlined in this consent decree will happen - with or without support from the White House."

A statement from a city spokesperson backed that up, writing "we will be moving forward with the terms laid out in this agreement, with or without the federal government."

The Minneapolis Police Department remains under a similar consent decree with the state Department of Human Rights, approved in 2023, that includes similar reform mandates.

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