NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund Inc.

01/09/2025 | Press release | Archived content

LDF Applauds Minneapolis Consent Decree

Read a PDF of our statement here.

Media Contact:
Troi Barnes, media@naacpldf.org

The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) today applauded the Mayor and City Council of Minneapolis for entering into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to reform the Minneapolis Police Department's pattern or practice of systemic abuses. The agreement, known as a consent decree, was adopted by the city council earlier this week and will take effect once approved by a judge. LDF Manager of the Justice in Public Safety Project, Puneet Cheema, issued the following statement:

"Four years ago, George Floyd's tragic murder by a law enforcement officer in broad daylight exposed the deep-seated inequities in the U.S. justice system and sparked global protests against systemic discrimination and injustice. It also triggered a Department of Justice investigation that revealed systemic abuses of power and misconduct within the Minneapolis Police Department, including the routine use of excessive force and discriminatory practices targeting Black and Indigenous communities.

"Earlier this week, the Minneapolis City Council took a significant step toward addressing these systemic injustices by unanimously approving the consent decree with the Department of Justice, and we applaud their leadership in achieving this result. This consent decree aims to establish critical reforms within the Minneapolis Police Department, including limitations on the use of force, prompt medical care for individuals in custody, and stronger accountability measures. These reforms are essential to prevent future unconstitutional conduct by Minneapolis officers, particularly against Black and Indigenous communities who have borne the brunt of systemic misconduct. We urge the court to move swiftly to approve this agreement so that reform efforts can begin.

"Minneapolis residents deserve a public safety system that keeps them safe while respecting their humanity - and this consent decree should represent the beginning of the city's efforts to realize that vision. The Legal Defense Fund's Framework for Public Safety, which our Justice in Public Safety Project is working to implement in partnership with local communities, also provides a useful roadmap for achieving this vision by promoting alternatives to policing and investing in nonviolent interventions that address the root causes of violence."

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation's first civil rights law organization. LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957-although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.