Whereas, Minneapolis is the only city in Minnesota that exempts police officers from its own civil rights ordinance;
Whereas, the exemption is so broad that it creates an unintended "loophole" which can exempt anyone who commits a crime at the same time as they legally discriminate against someone;
Whereas, Minneapolis police officers can file city civil rights complaints against the Minneapolis Police Departments, but Minneapolis residents (whose tax dollars pay for the civil rights law enforcement process) cannot use the same service when their complaint is against the police;
Whereas, the civil/human rights law enforcement process is wholly compatible with the police/civilian review process, as evidenced by the cooperation between the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, the St. Paul Human Rights Department, and police/civilian review agencies in Minneapolis and St. Paul;
Whereas, the exemption sends a message that police are "above the law", a message which erodes respect for police and which is inconsistent with concepts of community-based policing.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Downtown Minneapolis Residents Association urges the Minneapolis City Council to eliminate the loophole that exempts police officers and others from the Minneapolis Civil Rights Ordinance.
Dated this 18th day of July, 1995
George Rosenquist, Jr.
Downtown Minneapolis Residents Association