Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara is weighing in on restrictions on MPD traffic stops within the current consent decree.
Under the agreement, MPD can’t pull drivers over for minor violations alone, like a damaged mirror or a broken tail light.
Chief O’Hara says the current language surrounding the policy is too vague.
“They’re listing some things that cops can’t stop for, but then there’s like an exception that says if it’s a public safety issue, you could pull somebody over,” O’Hara said.
As for finishing all the training the agreement asks for, he says it isn’t a high priority.
“My priority is to ensure public safety. We may not get through every single minute of training this year in the time frame that’s requested because I am absolutely not going to jeopardize public safety just to get some check mark for a consent decree,” he said.
The Minneapolis City Council will vote to fill an independent evaluator position to monitor the court-mandated changes to the department in the coming weeks.