Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis residents voice opinions to new police oversight commission
Minneapolis police oversight meeting held
The Minneapolis Community Commission on Police Oversight had its first public meeting on Tuesday to weigh-in on police policies and practices.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Community Commission On Police Oversight was formed about a year ago. But this is the first chance the public has had a chance to tell the commission how they think policing is going in Minneapolis.
“I am not paying for cops to destroy the only possessions of the unhoused in my city, and I’m not paying them to intimidate students exercising their right to free speech. When adults can’t do their job properly, they face discipline, not hand-holding. At this time, this is all this body can provide. We need community control of the police, and we need it now,” said Minneapolis resident Joe Yates.
The purpose of the meeting was to get residents to voice their opinions on the MPD’s policies, rules, and practices.
The commission replaces the Police Conduct Oversight Commission, which was criticized for being ineffective but the new commission has also faced criticisms for a backlog of complaints, lack of training for commissioners, and a lack of public transparency.
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The hearing is part of the state’s consent decree with the city after an investigation found the MPD engaged in a pattern of racial discrimination.
“It’s been over 4 years since the civil unrest. Thankfully, we do not have the same police force we did in 2020. While they are not perfect, they deserve to be recognized for their hard work and progress. We also need to recognize the sacrifice and trauma they’ve endured to bring peace back to our community,” said Minneapolis resident Tim Peterson.
“We definitely feel the CCPO has been a failure in its first year. It just hasn’t done hardly any of the things it was created to do or that you wish to do,” said Dave Bicking of Communities United Against Police Brutality.
“I really like the idea of this committee. So much so, I would want to do this job. This sounds amazing, and I’m sure a lot of you had the same energy going into this. Unfortunately, I am also seeing a committee that is ineffective and that makes me sad,” said Minneapolis resident Alex Alley-Grommesh.
The commission’s duties include making recommendations related to MPD policies and reviewing complaints.
Their next meeting is scheduled for June 3.
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis College teams up with Toys for Tots to provide holiday gifts for student parents
For many student parents at Minneapolis College, the holiday season arrives during one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year.
Final exams, work schedules and family responsibilities often collide in December. This week, a Toys for Tots giveaway on campus offered some relief.
The college partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program to provide gifts exclusively for student parents. School officials say more than 145 student parents signed up for the event, representing nearly 270 children.
Veronica Krawiec is a nursing student at Minneapolis College and the mother of a young son, Christopher. She said balancing school, work and parenting can be overwhelming, especially around the holidays.
Krawiec said she was able to find a Lego set her son specifically asked for this Christmas, something she was not sure she would be able to afford on her own.
She said the support she receives on campus has made a significant difference, pointing to resources like the Student Support Center and food pantry. Krawiec said those services help her focus on school without feeling ashamed for asking for help.
“As a mom most of the time I feel like I’m failing but like this this helps me a lot to not feel as bad,” she said.
Sharita Jackson, a first semester addiction counseling student and single mother of two, also attended the giveaway. She said resources like the Toys for Tots event help ease some of the pressure that comes with being a student parent.
Minneapolis College staff say the need among student parents has grown this year, in some cases doubling. The college estimates nearly 20% of its students are parents, and more than 70% of students identify as Indigenous or people of color, international, low income or first generation.
In addition to holiday giveaways, the college offers a Student Parent Center, a food pantry, basic needs support and access to housing, financial and veterans resources. Staff say those services are designed to help students stay enrolled and succeed while raising families.
College officials say events like the Toys for Tots giveaway help reduce stress during the holidays and allow student parents to focus on finishing the semester strong.
A tense situation developed in South Minneapolis Monday afternoon, where dozens of residents confronted ICE agents operating in the streets near Lake Street and Pillsbury Avenue, not far from the Karmel Mall.
WCCO reporter Esme Murphy was also on the scene and reported that chemical irritant had been deployed. Murphy and a WCCO photographer were among those who were hit with the irritant.
Murphy reported seeing at least three people in handcuffs, but it was not immediately clear for what reason they were being detained. The scene seemed to have cleared by 2:30 p.m.
Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies were observed at the scene. Local law enforcement have been deployed to control crowds since the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Metro Surge in recent weeks. One of the recent ICE operations in the metro area was a raid at a construction site in Chanhassen over the weekend.
The Karmel Mall is the nation’s first Somali shopping center. The enhanced ICE actions came just after President Trump said, “I don’t want [Somalis] in our country” and claimed Somalis are “completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota.”
Few other details were immediately available, but WCCO crews on the scene noted that many of those protesting against ICE were using whistles, which in many prior confrontations have been used to try to warn neighbors that ICE agents were in the vicinity.
This story is developing and will be updated.
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