Contact: Jana Kooren, jkooren@aclu-mn.org, 651-529-1693 or 651-485-5925 (cell)
St. Paul, Minn –Teresa Nelson, interim executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, issued the following statement in response to the announcement of body camera policy reforms made by Interim Police Chief Medaria Arradondo of the Minneapolis Police Department. These changes follow the recent police shooting of Justine Damond and subsequent resignation of former police chief Janeé Harteau.
The ACLU of Minnesota supports the swift reforms interim police chief, Medaria (Rondo) Arradondo, announced early this morning. We trust that the implementation of a more robust body camera policy, as well as stricter accountability measures for violating the policy, will lead to greater accountability and transparency. These changes are fundamental to the right of Minneapolis residents to know how police are conducting themselves while on duty.
We need to be forward-thinking if we are to foster a police department that values the lives of residents first and foremost. The shooting of Justine Damond should not have been the impetus for such reforms. Moving forward, we are hoping to see a proactive commitment to best practices in policing, safety, and justice.
We are optimistic about working with Chief Arradondo to continue to address the issues of excessive force, over-policing, and racial profiling that have negatively impacted the relationship between the Minneapolis public and police department. Body cameras will potentially help identify and respond to these areas of concern, but they will not address the underlying causes. The ACLU of Minnesota will continue to work with community partners to push for largescale changes within the police department—including routine trainings on use of force policies, de-escalation trainings, and de-prioritization of low-level arrests.
We look forward to working with Chief Arradondo as the new body camera policy rolls out and on future implementation of reforms that will create a safer community for all who live here.
The ACLU-MN is a non-profit organization that works to defend the civil liberties of all Minnesotans. Learn more at www.aclu-mn.org.
