The Minneapolis Police Chief Promised Change. He Got a Disaster.

The department had successfully implemented greater transparency and accountability, but the latest crisis reveals more challenges

By Dan Frosch, Douglas Belkin, Zusha Elinson and Erin Ailworth of The WSJ. Excerpts:

"Since 2012 there have been more than 2,600 complaints filed against Minneapolis police officers by civilians, according to data provided by Dave Bicking, who was part of the city’s Office of Police Conduct Review. Of those, the data showed just 12 resulted in an officer being disciplined. Among those, eight received written warnings. The most severe penalty was a 40-hour suspension.

Mr. Bicking, a member of Communities United Against Police Brutality, an organization of civilians who advocate for improved policing, said the board largely operated behind closed doors and has a lengthy, cumbersome process. “The whole system is designed to avoid discipline,” he said."

"Nationally, the number of officers disciplined because of complaints filed by citizens have risen slightly since 2014, but the percentage is still in the single digits at most departments.

“One of the easiest things for law enforcement to do is arrest people for violent crime—except when it comes to our own,” said David O. Brown, the Police Superintendent of Chicago. “We hem and haw. We pull our thumbs. We have to do a thorough investigation with evidence staring us in the face, and we don’t apply the same standards of swiftness of justice.”"

"The union chief also opposed a 2019 ban by Mayor Jacob Frey on aggressive “warrior-style” training for police, which doesn’t emphasize de-escalation during encounters with civilians. The ban went into effect, but controversy has continued over whether officers are following it, according to local media.

Ms. Harteau, the previous chief, said in an interview that the union was the biggest obstacle to making changes at the department.

“The police federation will have a greater impact on the police culture than a chief ever will,” said Ms. Harteau.

She criticized the union for standing up for officers in even the most egregious cases, and said that the union’s “silence is deafening” in the wake of Mr. Floyd’s killing."