Minneapolis Parks, Schools Cut Ties With Police Department
Shutterstock/bbq
Connecting state and local government leaders
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | Racial slur uttered after Ahmaud Arbery shooting, defendant said … Las Vegas bans protesters from carrying backpacks … Hawaii warns of scams targeting sex offenders.
Multiple agencies in Minneapolis have ended their relationships with the police department now under scrutiny in the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes. The school district, park board, and University of Minnesota won’t work with the Minneapolis police any longer, with the park agency also deciding to get new uniforms to differentiate their officers from the Minneapolis Police Department. The parks will no longer hire Minneapolis police to work events and won’t dispatch their own officers to non-violent calls in the city. Superintendent Al Bangoura noted that the Minneapolis police “have a long road ahead” where they need to implement reforms. “We can’t judge an entire department by the few, [but] there is a lot that is going to have to change,” he said. Earlier this week, the school district voted to end its contract to hire local police as school resource officers. In neighboring Saint Paul, the school board will consider its own relationship with its police department next week. [Star Tribune; Minnesota Reformer]
AHMAUD ARBERY | The man accused of shooting a black jogger in a Georgia town said a racial slur before police arrived, another defendant told investigators. That information was disclosed during a day-long hearing on Thursday, where a judge ruled that three white men accused in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery will stand trial on murder charges. [Washington Post; CNN]
LICENSING FOR POLICE | New Jersey State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced this week that the state is creating a licensing system for all police officers. “Just as we license doctors, nurses, lawyers, hundreds of other professions, we must ensure that all officers meet a baseline level of professionalism,” he said. [NJ Advance Media]
BANNED BACKPACKS | The Las Vegas City Council passed an emergency measure on Wednesday to ban protesters from carrying backpacks, fanny packs, briefcases, and other bags. These items joined a list of other prohibited items like baseball bats, pipes, lumber, and tear gas. [KSNV]
SEX OFFENDER SCAM | The Hawaii Attorney General is warning registered sex offenders that they may be targeted by scammers. People impersonating law enforcement have been calling sex offenders and threatening arrest if they don’t immediately wire money that they say is for registration. “Law enforcement agencies will not call to inform you of an arrest warrant and tell you an arrest can be avoided if payments are transmitted via wire, money card, or other means of monetary transmittals,” said the state attorney general’s office. [Star-Advertiser]
Laura Maggi is the managing editor of Route Fifty and Emma Coleman is the assistant editor.
NEXT STORY: Did Curfews Work? Cities Begin to Roll Back Restrictions