Minnesota Legislature Police Reforms: What Does It Mean And What Will Change?

Since the growing of racist and xenophobia cases in the community, including the murder of George Floyd, anti-Asian racism, and later the shooting to death of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, has caused enormous pressure on the Minnesota State Capitol calling for police reforms.

Data research has shown that officers for years have been ticketing black drivers disproportionately in cases where they had wide discretion to pull someone over. And this is a statistic spread all over the State of Minnesota.

Also, a conducted study analyzing police department statistics across 16 major U.S. cities has found anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 150% in 2020.

The changes bring up some discussions as abuse of authority, racism, and xenophobia. And how implementing these new measures could simplify the process and keep a safe environment for both the community and the officers. The main goal of these new measures is to keep the bad cops out of the streets.

The new regulations include new procedures for no-knock warrants, a ban for chokeholds, improvements to the Minnesota POST Board database, and the grant of funds to violence prevention programs.

Also, a bill passed last summer included a ban on “warrior training” for officers and a requirement that officers intervene when another officer uses excessive force.

However, this new legislation does not contemplate any measures on traffic stops. It was also left out in the agreement the proposal to replace the actual measure of taking individuals with outstanding warrants straight to jail instead of ticketing them.

As some of these proposed measures were not included this time, there is a plan to continue the discussion and reevaluate some of these proposals next year.

What can you do?

If you face any type of abuse of authority, discrimination during a traffic stop, or any situations where you feel your integrity was violated and your civil rights not guaranteed, you should call an attorney to help you with the next steps. As an integral part of the Arneson Law Office, Wyatt Arneson is focused on fighting for justice and represent you in your legal case.

How can we help?

Do you need legal representation? Contact Arneson Law Office today or call our office at (612)-746-1188 to book a consultation. In case of emergency, call our 24-hour line for help at (612)-405-8010.

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