The Metro Transit Police Work Group concluded its work and presented its recommendations to the full Metropolitan Council on March 2 at the Committee of the Whole meeting. The recommendations directed Metro Transit to create a detailed workplan to address the issues raised and outlined key principles and values to guide that workplan development. Learn more about these recommendations and the community engagement that established the direction for this transit safety effort. The workplan will be delivered to the Metropolitan Council for approval in June. Follow Metro Transit’s progress on this workplan.
The Metropolitan Council instructed the Metro Transit Police Work Group to carry out two primary duties (PDF):
- Design a series of monthly Committee of the Whole discussions. The purpose of the discussions is to provide opportunities for Council Members to receive information from the Metro Transit Police Department and to discuss the Citizens League review and other public input. The presentations will create a forum for Council Members to ask questions, articulate priorities, and provide feedback as the work group develops recommendations.
- Develop recommendations for consideration by the full Metropolitan Council. By February 28, 2022, the Metro Transit Police Review Work Group will report back to the full Metropolitan Council with recommended transit safety and security outcomes and strategies to achieve the outcomes. Recommendations must also identify data and other information that Metro Transit will provide the Metropolitan Council as part of regular Metro Transit Police Department updates that will begin by the end of March 2022.
In designing the Committee of the Whole sessions and in developing the recommended outcomes and strategies, the work group will:
- Ensure recommendations address safety and security for riders and employees
- Acknowledge the history of systemic racism in policing generally and establish recommendations on how the Metro Transit Police Department should address disparities and dismantle inequities through their work
- Review and identify opportunities to strengthen policies, procedures, and practices
- Address issues raised by Council Members during the Committee of the Whole meetings and through other channels. Topics identified to date include use of force, code of conduct enforcement, interaction with youth, Metro Transit Police Department oversight and governance, officer training, and disaggregated data needs
- Use results of the Citizens League engagement as a key input to guide and inform priorities, outcomes, and strategies
- Incorporate additional stakeholders, data, policing standards, best practices, and other critical information that need to be considered in addition to the Citizens League engagement results
- Identify barriers that may need to be addressed to achieve recommended outcomes or carry out recommended strategies
- Confer with the Equity Advisory Committee and the BIPOC work group as appropriate throughout the process of reviewing Metro Transit Police Department and developing recommendations
The Metro Transit Police Work Group constitutes a quorum of the Community Development Committee and the Environment Committee, and therefore is publicly noticed as a special meeting of both committees.
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