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Minneapolis seeking applicants for new police oversight committee

The 15-member Community Commission on Police Oversight (CCPO) will convene for the first time in late April.

MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The above video originally aired on Feb. 1, 2023.

The city of Minneapolis is seeking applicants for its new Community Commission on Police Oversight (CCPO).

The new agency's goal is to have more transparency and accountability within the Minneapolis Police Department.

The CCPO will convene for the first time in late April.

"The new commission will include 15 members – 13 will be appointed by the City Council (one per ward) and two appointed by the mayor," according to a news release. 

The commission will streamline the work of multiple groups within the current system, giving the 15 members oversight committee responsibility for broader MPD policies and practices and the ability to review specific complaints against police officers.

The commissioners will serve as "review panelists on a rotating basis to review investigations of alleged police misconduct," according to the release.

The member will have access to police case files and make recommendations to the chief of police, although the chief is not bound to those findings. 

"The City is seeking applicants that represent a cross-section of Minneapolis, including formerly incarcerated individuals, LGBTQ community members, Black, Indigenous and other people of color, as well as community members from every ward of Minneapolis," according to the release.

The deadline to fill out applications on the city's website is March 20. 

Applicants need to meet six requirements, according to city officials:

  1. Must be 18 years of age or older
  2. Must take and pass any background check 
  3. May not be a current employee of the city
  4. May not be a currently licensed peace officer
  5. Must satisfy any other qualifications required under Title 2 of the Code of Ordinances.
  6. Have a demonstrated commitment to equitable, non-discriminatory policing; and do not have a record of taking actions that would undermine public trust in the individual's ability to conduct civilian oversight of law enforcement in an equitable and non-discriminatory manner.

Earlier this month, the director of the city's Civil Rights Department called the new police oversight commission a "significant step forward" for the Minneapolis Police Department. 

Minneapolis Council President Andrea Jenkins said it's a good start, while other council members and community activists argue it lacks the power to create any real change.

This will be the third generation of police oversight in Minneapolis, following the Civilian Review Authority which operated in various forms from 1990 to 2012 and the Office of Police Conduct Review which has been in place since then. 

In a scathing report issued after the murder of George Floyd, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights called the current system "insufficient and ineffective at holding officers accountable," as evidenced by the more than 20 complaints that had been lodged against Derek Chauvin dating back to 2001. 

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