HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 07-13 Maplewood asking citizen task force to examine police use-of-force PIONEER PRESSMaplewood to convene use -of -force community task force
Maplewood asking task force
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examine police use -of -force
By SAIIIIK::'°i IP°°iSIII'° III II'IIIIIII I shorner@pioneerpress.com
PUBLISHED: July 12, 2016 at 9:06 pm I UPDATED: July 13, 2016 at 2:30 pm
A group of community members in Maplewood will soon be charged with a rare and onerous task: reviewing the
city police department's use -of -farce policies and making recommendations on how or if they should change.
The Maplewood City Council voted Monday to convene a "diverse work group made up of Maplewood residents"
that will engage in the "systematic review," and also include an analysis of the department's related training
protocols, according to information released by the city Tuesday.
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The meetings are expected take place over two to three months. All recommendations would be reviewed by
Maplewood Police Chief Paul Schnell, who will report back to the group and the City Council about which ones will
be adopted, the city reported. Schnell would also be required to provide a written rationale for any
recommendations not adopted.
The resolution was prompted by the recent shootings of IF"hiiiaindo Cas(.He iiia Il::aicoirn INleiiglhts and Alton Sterling in
Baton Rouge, La., two black men killed by police fire, the city reported.
Schnell said the effort is aimed at better ensuring that the city's use -of -farce practices reflect the values of
Maplewood residents.
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Maplewood to convene use -of -force community task force
"If we truly want to be the best we can be byway of the values of our community, we really need to engage with
people who challenge the process and ask hard questions," Schnell said. "I am confident there will be times when
these will not be easy discussions, but I think at the end of the day we will have goad outcomes."
Participation in the working group will be open to all Maplewood residents, regardless of age, though the city plans
to actively recruit people of calor to join the effort, Schnell said.
The City Council is expected to appoint eight to 14 members based on its review of online applications, by the end
of August.
Those chosen will be asked "to review the department's use -of -farce policies and make recommendations for
identified additions, deletions or modifications to the department's current policies and practices," the city
reported.
That analysis is likely to include discussions of mental health, crisis intervention, implicit bias, race, training and
steps officers do or do not take prior to the use of farce, Schnell said.
Group members also will learn about current laws and United States Supreme Court decisions related to police use
of farce, Schnell added. Those topics will likely be addressed by lawyers and police officers, who would visit the
group intermittently to discuss various subject matter.
No police officers will be in the group, though, other then Schnell, who will serve as co-chair. The other co-chair has
not been named.
The city hopes the process will be enlightening for bath police officers and the residents they serve.
"It really is important for working -group members to have a broader sense of context to understand some of what
we do and why it is done so they can be (better able) to assess to what extent it reflects the values of the
community and the safety they want for their officers," he said.
Just over 40,000 people live in Maplewood, Schnell said. About 30 percent of residents are people of calor. The
biggest ethnic groups represented include Hmong, Karen, Latina and East African communities.
Maplewood Mayor Nara Slawik said all council members present at the Monday meeting supported the resolution.
City council member Tau Xiang, the city's only council member of calor, had a work function and was not able to
attend, Slawik said.
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Maplewood to convene use -of -force community task force
"I think that Maplewood residents along with the rest of the state and country are experiencing a lot of turmoil over
the shooting of Philando Castile ... and Anton Sterling and ... the shooting of the Dallas cops," Slawik said. "So we
want to take a look at our use of force policies and involve in particular our communities of color and see if they are
reasonable."
Her hope in the end is that the city's police department will have fostered more "trust and legitimacy" with
residents.
Anyone interesting in serving on the group is asked to complete an online letter of interest at
lit.t:llav//www.ir)iallalewcbc)dir)iiri.gc)v/Usec)f=l1 cbirce. Applications must be completed by Aug. 5. Appointments will be
made before Aug. 22.
City staff said they expect the group's work to commence shortly thereafter.
Anyone with questions about the group, its mission or how to get involved is asked to contact Maplewood City
Manager Melinda Coleman at melinda.coleman@maplewoodmn.gov or Police Chief Paul Schnell at
paul.schnell@maplewood.gov. Inquiries can also be made via phone at 651-259-2602.
Sarah Hornerjoined the Pioneer Press in 2011. She covers news in St. Paul and the surrounding northern suburbs
in Ramsey County.
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