MINNESOTA, AND WE HAVE PLENTY OF POLITICS FOR YOU AS WELL.

>> Eric: WE'LL START TONIGHT WITH REFORMS ON THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE PENDING FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE IS ON HOLD FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS AFTER A FEDERAL JUDGE GRANTED THE EXTENSION REQUESTED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

PAUSE WAS SET TO EXPIRE ON THURSDAY.

THE MPD IS ALREADY INTO A YEAR WITH A SIMILAR AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE HUMAN RIGHTS DEPARTMENT.

WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS STORY WITH YOHURU WILLIAMS, UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL'S RACIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE.

WELCOME BACK.

IS THERE A CHANCE THIS DELAY WILL BECOME PERMANENT?

>> I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED BECAUSE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S TRACK RECORD ON CONSENT DECREES IS ABOMINABLE.

AND THIS IS WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN HIS FIRST ITERATION S PRESIDENT, BLOCKING THE MOVING FORWARD OF THE CONSENT DECREE IN CHICAGO.

SO THIS SECOND REQUEST BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR AN EXTENSION IS TROUBLING.

THE CONCERN IS THAT WHAT WE'LL SEE ARE EFFORTS TO JUST CONTINUE THIS PROCESS OF PUTTING IT OFF AND PUTTING IT OFF, WHICH EFFECTIVELY WOULD END THIS IMPORTANT PART OF CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING, WHICH CAME ALONG WITH THE FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE, WHY PEOPLE WANTED THAT FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE IN ADDITION TO THE STATE CONSENT DECREE WHICH FOCUSES ON THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS LEGISLATION.

>> Cathy: THANK YOU, YOU KIND OF ANSWERED THAT QUESTION THEN.

IF THE FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE IS REALLY NEEDED IN THIS CASE, AND YOU'LL SAY IT WOULD BECAUSE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL PIECE OF THAT, RIGHT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

SO YOU'VE HAD PEOPLE IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE SECOND REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION SAY WE DON'T REALLY NEED THIS, WE HAVE, WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS WITH REGARD TO THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS CONSENT DECREE.

WE'VE GOT A REFORM-MINDED CHIEF IN PLACE, THE CITY IS DEFINITELY CONTINUING WITH THAT WORK.

YET AT THE SAME TIME WHAT WE LOSE ARE THOSE CRITICAL PIECES RELATED TO CONSTITUTIONAL PIECING.

WASN'T JUST ABOUT THE VIOLENCE ON GEORGE FLOYD'S BODY, IT WAS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE AFTERMATH.

THE EFFORTS TO TAKE AWAY PEOPLE'S FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS WITH REGARD TO PROTESTS, THE CHALLENGES THAT CAME AS A RESULT OF WHAT WE SAW WITH THE TREATMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

SO YOU'RE LOSING THAT FIRST AMENDMENT, FOURTH AMENDMENT, 14TH AMENDMENT CONCERNS.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE WHO SAY WE STILL NEED THAT FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE.

>> Eric: HAS THE INDEPENDENT MONITOR WEIGHED IN ON PROGRESS, OR?

>> THEY HAVE.

IN FACT WE GOT THE FIRST REPORT FROM THEM AND THIS COVERED THE PERIOD OF MARCH 18TH OF LAST YEAR THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH OF LAST YEAR.

AND THEY SAID, LOOK, THERE'S SOME GOOD NEWS.

THE DEPARTMENT HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN FOUR CRITICAL AREAS AND I WANTED TO TAKE THESE DOWN BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE UNDERSTAND.

THEY SAID FIRST AND FOREMOST, POLICY UPDATES.

GOOD NEWS HERE IN THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS SUBMITTED ND RECEIVED APPROVAL IN THREE AREAS THAT CAME UP IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS' INVESTIGATION AND THOSE ARE POLICIES ON USE OF FORCE, ENGAGING WITH MINORS IN CRISIS INTERVENTION.

THEY'VE ALSO NOTED THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENT IN TERMS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.

THE DEPARTMENT HAS POSTED AND IS RECEIVING FEEDBACK ON THEIR MISSION, VALUES AND GOALS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.

THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT COMPLAINT BACKLOG REDUCTION WHICH WAS A BIG ISSUE, OVER A THOUSAND, I THINK 1,100 CASES OF BACKLOGGED IN TERMS OF USE OF FORCE AND THE DEPARTMENT IS MOVING THOSE ALONG.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, TRAINING AND OPERATIONS AND A LOT OF THIS FOCUSED ON EXPANDED USE OF BODY CAMS AND TECHNOLOGY.

SO GOOD THINGS THERE, BUT THEN SOME CHALLENGES THEY NOTED AS WELL.

THREE IN PARTICULAR.

ONE, DATA GAPS.

SO THEY SAY THERE'S STILL OT ENOUGH DATA FOR THEM TO HAVE A GOOD IDEA BOUT HOW TO EVALUATE PERFORMANCE ON MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES.

STAFFING CONCERNS, SHORTAGES.

AND TECHNOLOGY GAPS.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST ELAYED TRAINING, PARTICULARLY IN THE REALM OF LEADERSHIP.

SO THERE'S SOME CONCERN ABOUT REALLY GETTING LEADERSHIP UP TO SPEED WHICH WILL BE IMPORTANT TO MOVE THAT WORK FORWARD.

>> Cathy: IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE AS YOU SAY SOME POSITIVE THINGS.

I'M WONDERING HOW WILL ANY OF THIS PREVENT ANOTHER GEORGE FLOYD-STYLE POLICE KILLING?

>> IT'S A GREAT QUESTION, CATHY.

AND I THINK PART OF THE CONCERN ABOUT THIS DELAY IN THE FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE IS THAT WE HOPED THESE WOULD WORK IN TANDEM TO PREVENT SUCH N OCCURRENCE.

NOW WE'RE JUST DEPENDENT ON THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS.

IT'S GOOD, IT'S A GOOD METRIC BUT AS I MENTIONED LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER, THE FEDERAL DECREE IS KIND OF THE FLOOR AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU NEED, THE FOUNDATION.

AND SO NOT HAVING THAT IN PLACE SHOULD GIVE US ALL PAUSE ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO REALLY EXPECT THAT WE DON'T SEE THIS COME BACK AGAIN.

>> Eric: POLICE UNION FOR THE DELAY?

>> UNFORTUNATELY, THE POLICE UNION, THE DOJ CITED THE SUPPORT OF THE MINNEAPOLIS FEDERATION OF POLICE FOR THIS PUSHBACK, AGAIN, THIS SECOND PUSHBACK.

THAT SHOULD BE TROUBLING AS WELL, BECAUSE AGAIN THE FEDERATION AS WE ALL KNOW IS ONE OF THE IMPEDIMENTS AND HISTORICALLY BEEN AN IMPEDIMENT TO THE TYPE OF REFORM PEOPLE THINK WOULD BE NECESSARY TO TRANSFORM THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE.

>> Cathy: IS THERE A SECOND PHASE, EVALUATION PHASE COMING UP?

>> YEP, SO NOW WHAT WE'LL SEE IS SECOND PHASE OF EVALUATION FOR ELIFA, AND OTHER METRICS PART OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS CONSENT DECREE.

WE HOPED AT THIS POINT THEY WERE ALSO GOING TO BEGIN TO EVALUATE THOSE FEDERAL METRICS SALE.

AGAIN, PART OF THE CONCERN HERE IS THAT EVEN, AND THE DEPARTMENT SEEMS OFF TO A SPRINT, BRIAN O'HARA IS DOING A GREAT JOB.

WE'D STILL BE BEHIND IF THIS FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE IS PUSHED BACK.

BUT TO YOUR POINT, CATHY, THERE IS CONCERN WE WON'T SEE THIS IMPLEMENTED.

>> Eric: WE REALLY COUNT ON