>> ERIC: IN THE NEXT HOUR WE'LL TALK WITH NEW CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENTS FROM MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL, KAOMI LEE INTRODUCES US TO THE NORTHERNETTES JUNIORS, ONE OF MINNESOTA'S SYNCHRONIZED SKATING TEAMS, AND WE'LL TALK POLITICS WITH A COUCH FULL OF ANALYSTS.

>> CATHY: WE START TONIGHT WITH THE ONGOING SAGA OF MINNEAPOLIS POLICE REFORM.

THE THREE NATIONAL FIRMS IN THE RUNNING TO MONITOR THE CONSENT DECREE WERE IN TOWN FOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS EARLIER THIS WEEK.

NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS, A TEAM THAT INCLUDES THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, MINNESOTA'S HUMAN RIGHTS DEPARTMENT AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES WILL CHOOSE ONE OF THE FIRMS.

THE FINAL SELECTION AND CONTRACT IS SUBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.

YOHURU WILLIAMS IS BACK.

HE'S A UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS HISTORIAN, DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL'S RACIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE.

AND ONE OF HIS AREAS OF EXPERTISE IS THE HISTORY OF POLICING IN THE TWIN CITIES.

IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW.

>> GOOD TO EE YOU BOTH.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THESE THREE FIRMS?

>> WELL, A LOT AT THIS POINT.

AND THIS WEEK WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW THEM INTIMATELY.

FIRST EFFECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR ALL IS A NONPROFIT THAT HAS EXPERIENCE IN WORKING WITH CONSENT DECREES, NAMELY, IN NEW ORLEANS, IS KIND OF THEIR CALLING CARD.

THEN YOU HAVE JENSEN HUGHES, WHICH IS A GLOBAL LAW FIRM THAT HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH CONSENT DECREASE, TIES TO THE TWIN CITIES.

AND THEN HE FINAL IS ROMAN COLFAX, A D.C.-BASED LAW FIRM THAT DEALS WITH CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES, NO DIRECT DEALINGS WITH CONSENT DECREASE BUT THEY PUT TOGETHER A IMPRESSIVE TEAM.

>> Eric: WHAT DOES THIS EVALUATION COMPANY DO EXACTLY?

>> THEY'LL PROVIDE THE SUPPORT AND OVERSIGHT, AS WELL AS RECORDING FOR THE CONSENT DECREE.

SO THEY'LL ACTUALLIER THE CONDUIT THAT DETERMINES WHETHER THE CITY IS LIVING UP TO -- OR THE POLICE ARE LIVING UP TO THEIR PART OF THE BARGAIN AND THEN REPORTING BACK TO THE JUDGE IN TERMS OF THE OVERSIGHT.

SO VERY IMPORTANT ROLE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS PLAY IN THIS PROCESS.

>> Cathy: I WONDER WITH THE FIRM WITH SOME OF THE MINNESOTA BACKGROUND OR MINNESOTA TIES MIGHT HAVE THE EDGE OVER THE OTHER TWO?

ANY SENSE TO THAT?

>> YOU WOULD THINK SO, BUT JENSEN HUGHES, IN PARTICULAR, TOOK A LOT OF HEAT FROM COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS AT THESE TWO FORUMS, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE THE PARENT COMPANY OF ONE OF THE ENTITIES THAT DID THE OVERSIGHT -- EXCUSE ME -- THE REPORT ON THE AFTER-ACTION OF THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE FOLLOWING THE URBAN UNREST.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY, OMMUNITIES UNITED AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY, IN PARTICULAR, WERE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT REPORT.

SO IT'S ACTUALLY HURTING THEM IN A WAY THAT AT LEAST SOME PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY VIEW THEIR VIABILITY FOR THIS WORK.

>> ric: IF THERE'S SOME FOOT DRAGGING OR LACK OF PROGRESS, DO THEY BOOST -- DO THEY GET IN THERE AND PUSH YOU TOWARD AN AGREEMENT?

HOW WOULD THEY WORK IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS COMING TO AN AGREEMENT?

>> WELL, YOU HAD BOTH JENSEN HUGHES AND ROMAN COAL TAX SAY DURING -- COLFAX SAY DURING THE FORUM, THEY WOULD PUSH THE JUDGE FOR SOME TYPE OF ACTION, INJUNCTIVE RELIEF IF THAT WERE THE CASE.

WHICH IS A VERY STRONG STATEMENT COMING FROM INDEPENDENT EVALUATORS, IT SIGNALS THEIR WILLINGNESS TO DO THAT.

UNFAIR TO SAY EFFECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT WOULD NOT DO THE SAME, BUT YOU DID HAVE THOSE TWO IN PARTICULAR USE THAT LANGUAGE.

>> Cathy: THE DOJ IS STILL NEGOTIATING WITH THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS, RIGHT, OVER THE FEDERAL DECREE?

IT SEEMS LIKE THAT HAS JUST BEEN A LONG PROCESS.

IS THAT PAR FOR THE COURSE?

>> PAR FOR THE COURSE.

VERY NORMAL.

IN ACT, A GOOD SIGN.

WHAT IT MEANS, THEY'RE BEING VERY DELIBERATE IN THAT PROCESS.

THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO SEE.

AT THE SAME TIME, YOU'VE GOT FOLKS HO ARE SAYING, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, EXPECTING THIS TO BE MUCH FASTER, SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK FOR SOME IN COMMUNITY PART OF THE PROBLEM OF TRANSPARENCY AND FEELING LIKE, WHY IS THIS TAKING SO LONG, IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS, WHERE ARE WE GOING.

>> Eric: IS THERE A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF ASPECTS OF THE EVALUATION?

I MEAN, IS IT 100 THINGS OR 20?

I MEAN, HOW BROAD IS THEIR PALATE, I GUESS?

>> IT DEPENDS ON THE AGREEMENT.

THEY WILL SIT DOWN, LOOK AT AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT, WHAT THE POLICE AGREE TO, AND THEN WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS OF MAKING SURE THAT THE POLICE ARE LIVING UP TO THAT.

BUT, AGAIN, THIS IS WHY SO MANY PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY WERE SO ADAMANT ABOUT SHARING THEIR CRITIQUE ABOUT THIS PROCESS.

THEY REALLY WANTED INPUT INTO THESE THREE TEAMS.

BECAUSE THEY FEEL IKE THIS IS A CRITICAL PART OF THIS PROCESS.

AND NOT HAVING INPUT IN TERMS OF THE SELECTION, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY THAT SELECTION WILL BE MADE BY THE CITY COUNCIL, A LOT OF FOLKS IN COMMUNITY WERE SAYING, THIS IS NOT REALLY WHAT WE WANTED.

PAR FOR THE COURSE, NOT UNUSUAL.

BUT CERTAINLY THERE IS THAT DISCONNECT IN TERMS OF WHAT COMMUNITY EXPECTED HERE.

>> Cathy: PRETTY HEFTY PRICE TAG I'M GOING TO ASSUME HERE WHEN ONE OF THE FIRMS IS HIRED.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

YES.

VERY EXPENSIVE.

AND I THINK THAT, AGAIN, IS THE CONCERN HERE.

IT'S A VERY LUCRATIVE CONTRACT.

AND DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THIS DRAGS OUT, AND WE CAN LOOK AT THE EXAMPLE OF OTHER CITIES, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITH WHICH THE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR WILL DO THIS WORK.

>> Eric: I THINK YOU'VE TOLD US IN PREVIOUS VISITS THAT THIS CAN BE YEARS IN THE MAKING.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

SO WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT FOUR YEARS HERE, BUT THAT'S AMBITIOUS.

SO, AGAIN, I WOULD ASK PEOPLE TO REALLY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT THIS EING A LONG-TERM PROCESS, IF WE WANT TO DO IT RIGHT.

AND FOUR YEARS IS TOO SHORT.

>> Eric: I WANT TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENTS THIS IN A MINUTE, BUT IS THIS A PARALLEL TRACK WHERE YOU'LL HAVE THE CONSENT DECREE STUFF BEING DONE AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL PRESUMABLY WILL E REFORMING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS IT GOES?

>> IF IT WORKS WELL, THEN THAT'S IDEALLY WHAT YOU WANT.

AND YOU HEARD EFFECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR ALL AY AS MUCH AND THAT'S KIND OF THEIR SIGNATURE IN THE SPACE.

THAT IF YOU DO THIS WORK IN A WAY THAT CONCURRENTLY WORKS WITH REFORM WITHIN DEPARTMENTS, THEN YOU CAN GET AN OUTCOME WHICH LOOKS A LOT LIKE WHAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT A CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, NEWARK NEW JERSEY, IN TERMS OF THOSE SUCCESS STORIES.

AT THE SAME TIME, THIS IS ALL DEPENDENT ON WHAT IS HAPPENING INTERNALLY IN THE DEPARTMENT AND YOU HAD A COUPLE OF PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY, AGAIN, SOME OF THE CRITICS, KIND OF RAISE THE TRACK RECORDS OF SOME OF THESE FIRMS AND THE FACT THAT YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT ALWAYS A RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN TERMS OF THIS HAVING THE OUTCOMES THAT COMMUNITY WANTS.

IT'S A LONG PROCESS.

>> Cathy: MONDAY IS MLK DAY.

I WANT TO GET THIS IN EFORE YOU HAVE TO GO.

I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE DOING EVENT ON MLK DAY.

DO YOU WANT TO TELL US ABOUT THAT?

>> I AM.

I'M GOING TO BE THE HOST AT THE GENERAL MILLS 34th ANNUAL MLK HOLIDAY BREAKFAST.

SO, IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT TIME.

WE'RE GOING TO -- MARLIE DIAZ IS GOING TO BE HONORED, GEHRING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT Dr. KING'S LEGACY, YOUTH ACTIVISM, IN PARTICULAR, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

>> Eric: GOOD LUCK W