After Duane Wright shooting, city council to vote on police changes – Everett Post

Everett

(BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn.) – Officials in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, the city where Duante Wright was fatally shot in a traffic obstruction last month, are expected to vote on a resolution that will introduce major changes to policing.

The Brooklyn Center City Council will meet at 3:00 p.m. Saturday to discuss a proposal to create new sections of unarmed civilian workers to deal with immovable traffic violations and respond to mental health problems.

Wright, a black 20-year-old father, was shot in the chest on April 11 during a traffic obstruction. Former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter, who is white, is charged with second degree manslaughter in his death.

The proposal, known as the Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety & Violence Prevention Act, was created and unveiled last week by Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot.

“Our church has made it clear that enough is enough. It’s time for Brooklyn Center to transform our public safety, ”Elliot tweeted on Friday.

The proposal seeks to establish a new Community Response Department where unarmed, trained medical, mental and social workers will respond to calls regarding medical, mental, disabled, and other behavioral needs.

An unarmed civil traffic enforcement department for immobile traffic violations will be established.

In the Wright case, he was stopped by the police for expired tags. It escalated when officers realized Wright had a pending arrest warrant, said then-Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon.

The resolution also seeks to establish a community security and violence prevention department that will oversee the police, fire brigade, traffic monitoring department and the community response department.

It would also introduce a “citation and subpoena” policy requiring officers to only issue quotes and prohibit arrests and vehicle searches for non-moving traffic violations, non-crime and non-crime warrants.

Civilian committees are also established to review police responses to protests and policies and to make recommendations.

However, the resolution received backlash from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc., and the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association. Police groups alleged the proposal was contrary to state law in a letter to city officials.

On Friday, the prosecutor responded to these concerns in a memo to the city council: “The passage of the law sets goals and obliges the city to work to achieve them, but is not a final measure.”