♪♪ >> ERIC: WE'LL GET TO THE GOVERNOR'S RESIDENCE STORY IN A FEW MINUTES AND TREAT YOU TO SOME LIVE CHORAL MUSIC FROM CANTUS.

BUT, FIRST, NEWS OF A LEGALLY BINDING AGREEMENT THAT WILL CHANGE THE RULES FOR MINNEAPOLIS POLICE OFFICERS.

>> CATHY: THIS MORNING DETAILS WERE RELEASED ON THE LONG-AWAITED LEGAL AGREEMENT THAT WILL CHANGE HOW MINNEAPOLIS POLICE OFFICERS DO THEIR JOB.

NO MORE POLICE STOPS FOR BROKEN TAILLIGHTS.

OFFICERS CAN'T USE CHEMICAL IRRITANTS TO CONTROL CROWDS.

THE SETTLEMENT ALSO CHANGES OFFICER TRAINING AND INCREASES ACCOUNTABILITY FOR MISBEHAVIOR.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IS YOHURU WILLIAMS.

HE'S A HISTORIAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS AND IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL'S RACIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE.

ONE OF HIS AREAS OF EXPERTISE IS THE HISTORY OF POLICING.

IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THASMTION FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: THERE ARE FOLKS THAT CALL THIS, THIS IS GOING TO BE TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE.

IS IT?

>> IT IS FOR THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS IN THE SENSE THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE MINNESOTA HUMAN RIGHTS DEPARTMENT HAS PURSUED A CONSENT DECREE WITH THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS, SO T'S A BIG DEAL IN THAT REGARD.

AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS IS A STATE, WE STILL HAVE THE FEDS WHO COULD WEIGH IN AND IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT WE'LL HAVE TWO CONSENT DECREES AT THAT POINT.

ONE FROM THE CITY THAT LOOKS AT RACE-BASED POLICING OR FROM THE STATE, AND THE OTHER FROM THE FEDS THAT WILL LOOK AT CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING.

THAT'S A POTENT ONE-TWO PUNCH WITH REGARD O HOLDING POLICE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS IN THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS.

>> Eric: HOW MUCH OF THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE GEORGE FLOYD MURDER?

>> I WOULD ARGUE IT'S A DIRECT RESULT.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY -- AND WE HEARD THAT TODAY WITH COMMISSIONER REBECCA LUCERO, WHO TALKED ABOUT IT BEING 1,040 DAYS SINCE GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER.

THIS WAS THE CATALYST.

AT THE SAME TIME THEY TALK ABOUT THIS AS A PATTERN IN PRACTICE CONSENT DECREE.

THIS GOES BACK DECADES AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET AT SOME OF THE ROOT CAUSES F THOSE DISPARITIES WITH REGARD TO RACE-BASED POLICING IN THE CITY.

>> Cathy: TRAINING IS A BIG ISSUE.

IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S GOING TO GO UNDER SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.

>> YEAH.

AND IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS TALK ABOUT ACTUALLY MEETING WITH POLICE AS WELL AS COMMUNITY, SO THEY WERE VERY BIG ON TALKING TO COMMUNITY, BUT THEY ALSO TALK TO POLICE.

THEY SAID, LOOK, OFFICERS WERE SHARING WITH US, WE WANT CLEAR DIRECTION WITH REGARD TO POLICY.

WE WANT TO KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.

SO THAT MEANS A RAMP-UP IN TRAINING AND NOT JUST SCROLLING THROUGH A POWERPOINT.

THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT GOOD ADULT EDUCATION PRACTICES.

IN PERSON, WORKING WITH TRAINERS, REALLY THINKING CONCRETELY ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT JOB WITH ORE HUMANITY, WHICH IS ANOTHER THEME THAT CAME OUT OF THE REPORT.

>> Eric: I'M REMINDED OF THE OLD MIKE TYSON QUOTE, WHERE EVERYBODY HAS A PLAN UNTIL THEY GET PUNCHED IN THE FACE.

AND I WONDER, ARE THERE EETH IN THIS SOMEHOW, DO HEADS ROLL IF THINGS DON'T GET BETTER?

WHAT'S THE IMPETUS FOR CHANGE, BEYOND JUST THE RECOMMENDATIONS?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND PART OF IT IS THE FACT THAT THIS CONSENT DECREE IS JUDICIALLY ENFORCEABLE.

SO THAT OVERSIGHT BY THE COURT, THE FACT THAT YOU'LL HAVE A MONITOR IN PLACE, AND THAT THERE WILL BE THIS FEEDBACK LOOP IS ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT YOU CAN USE TO ACTUALLY DRIVE THE TRANSFORMATIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE THAT THE CONSENT DECREE AND THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IS SEEKING TO DRIVE IN THE CITY.

SO THAT'S A BIG PIECE OF THIS.

THEY'RE ALSO VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT TELLING FOLKS, THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP.

SEATTLE JUST CAME OFF ITS CONSENT DECREE, TEN YEARS.

OAKLAND, 20 YEARS.

JUST COMING OFF THAT CONSENT DECREE.

SO, THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS, NOT THE END.

COMMUNITY HAS A ROLE TO PLAY.

AS WELL AS CITY OFFICIALS.

>> Cathy: WHO'S MONITORING?

WHAT'S THE MECHANISM TO MONITOR PROGRESS?

>> SO THEY'RE GOING TO BRING IN AN INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT BODY THAT WILL ACTUALLY REPORT TO THE COURT AND THAT WILL BE THE BODY THAT WILL ACTUALLY MAKE SURE AND DETERMINE IF THE CITY'S ON TRACK AND RAISE ISSUES IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT SEEM TO BE OFF KILTER.

AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS, THAT MONITORING AND EVALUATION IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL IN TERMS OF MONITORING THE PROGRESS LONG TERM.

>> Cathy: SO THEN WHAT WILL CHIEF O'HARA'S ROLE BE?

>> I THINK WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE, THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I THINK SO MANY PEOPLE WERE EXCITED ABOUT GETTING O'HARA IN.

HE HAS EXPERIENCE OVERSEEING A CITY UNDER CONSENT DECREE.

AND I THINK THIS MAKES IS JOB A LITTLE BIT EASIER.

THERE ARE SOME OTHER CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED WITHIN THE CITY THAT ACTUALLY CHART A COURSE FOR THE FUTURE THAT DRIVE THAT ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE.

>> Eric: JUST OPINION QUESTION.

WILL THESE CHANGES MAKE IT LESS LIKELY OR MORE LIKELY OR WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON GETTING THE FORCE TO A FULL COMPLEMENT?

>> CAME UP TODAY AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE, AND HIEF O'HARA SEEMED TO SUGGEST THAT IT ACTUALLY SHOULD HELP BRINGING THE FORCE BACK.

YOU KNOW, MINNEAPOLIS IS UNDER A CLOUD, AND PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO SERVE IN THAT DEPARTMENT BECAUSE OF THE LEGACY OF GEORGE FLOYD.

WITH THE CONSENT DECREE IN PLACE, WITH ALEXANDER NOW BEING A NEW CHIEF, NOW THE CONSENT DECREE, FOLKS ARE WANTING TO COME ACK, THIS IS PART OF THE CHANGE THAT WE WANT TO SEE, THIS SHIFT TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

HE THINKS IT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD RECRUITING TOOL AND ACTUALLY INDICATED TODAY AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE THAT THEY'RE ALREADY SEEING FORMER OFFICERS COME BACK AND NEW PEOPLE EXPRESS INTEREST IN THE JOB.

>> Cathy: SAY, IF YOU READ THROUGH THE REPORT, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WILL BE NO STOPS FOR THINGS LIKE BROKEN TAILLIGHTS AND SPELLING OF CANNABIS IF AN OFFICER STOPS A MOTORIST.

THOSE LOW-LEVEL OFFENSES.

IS THAT GOING TO CAUSE ANY ISSUE?

MIGHT THAT BE CONTROVERSIAL AT ALL?

>> I THINK SOME PEOPLE SEE T AS CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE THEY SEEM THAT IT PREVENTS POLICE FROM USING PROBABLE CAUSE.

DOESN'T TAKE AWAY PROBABLE CAUSE, BUT WHAT IT GETS RID OF ARE THOSE RACE-BASED PRETEXT THAT WE OFTEN SAW ABUSED BY POLICE OFFICERS.

SO, CONSENT SEARCHES, STOPPING FOR THE SMELL OF CANNABIS, SUSPICION IN THAT REGARD.

SO IT TAKES AWAY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAW AS PROBLEMATIC IN TERMS OF HOW POLICE POLICE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.

>> WHERE DO YOU PUT THIS IN THE HISTORY OF POLICING MINNEAPOLIS AND ELSEWHERE?

>> THIS IS HISTORIC FOR THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS.

IT'S A BIG DEAL.

AT THE SAME TIME I WANT TO EMPHASIZE WHAT REBECCA LUCERO TALKED ABOUT TODAY FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS.

FIRST STEP, COMMUNITY HAS TO STAY ENGAGED, WE WILL HAVE TO STAY ENGAGED.

THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.

BUT I'M HOPEFUL AND OPTIMISTIC.

THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.