Four years after Daunte Wright's death, tensions flare over Brooklyn Center police reform

The police killing of Daunte Wright in 2021 sparked a push to overhaul public safety in Brooklyn Center, but now frustrated activists are worried those efforts are stalling.

The city has made strides, including adjusting its response to mental health calls and creating an office focused on a health-based approach to public safety. With a new City Council this year, where more conservative members hold the majority, activists are pleading with city officials to deliver additional police reforms.

Tensions flared Monday night, as residents filed into the City Council meeting as members picked up a stalled discussion on the establishment of a commission that would give advice on community safety and violence prevention policies. Creating the board was a goal included in a wide-ranging resolution the city passed in 2021 in response to the fatal police shootings of Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler.

Katie Wright, Daunte Wright's mother, told the council it was "super disheartening" to hear it continue to host such debates. "And there's still no change."

"There's been a lot of people that have said, 'Oh, there's lots of changes. You know, we've done everything that we should have done,'" she said. "But unfortunately, the city hasn't made any changes that would have saved my son from a traffic stop."

Mayor April Graves said forming the commission is one of the last steps for the council to consider from the goals laid out four years ago, when the suburb of 32,000 people was turned upside down by protests and calls for reform.

Graves said she views her job this year as finding ways for the new council to reach compromises so the work can progress, rather than face the risk of policy changes being repealed.

The city has taken many "tangible steps," she said, adding, "I can understand and empathize with community members who would like to see more. I think that's always the case when we're talking about historical disparities, historical discriminations and the slowness of systemic changes."

Violence Prevention Commission

The council in December voted 3-2 to create the Community Safety and Violence Prevention Commission. The board would review public safety policies and present alternatives to the council, work with neighborhoods to understand needs, and make recommendations related to the city's response to protests.

As a city with a "small budget and big town issues," Graves said she hopes the commission would help with best practices and strategies. She feels it also fits the intent of the city's settlement with Wright's family, which called for the city to amend police training and policies, including those related to traffic stops.

"This is one way we can follow through on our word as a city and recognize harm was caused," she said.

Two opposing council members in December pushed to reconsider the commission in the new year, saying they hadn't sufficient time to review the most updated resolution.

In January, with one new member sworn in, the council voted to freeze the establishment of the commission, which raised concerns among some residents that the action could be further delayed or rolled back.

On Monday, after debating language around the commission's makeup and goals, the council decided to push off a decision for at least another 30 days.

Graves, who voted for the establishment of the commission, said she hopes the council is close to a compromise.

"There's disagreement around some language or other things we will have to keep talking about, including the scope of what the commission will look into," Graves said. "I want to see it move forward. I don't want to see it repealed, which they have the votes to do."

While several council members seem willing to advance the idea with amendments, at least one, Laurie Ann Moore, who was sworn in this year, said she is wholly against it.

"I have said at every meeting since the beginning of the year that I am opposed to this formation and implementation," she said Monday.

Changes to public safety

Wright was killed at the age of 20 when he was shot by an officer during a traffic stop.

Dimock-Heisler, 21, who had autism, was killed at home in 2019.

The police shootings led to calls for a reduced role for armed officers in the enforcement of traffic infractions, mental health crises and low-level offenses.

The resolution approved by the City Council in 2021 sought the proposal of new ordinances and guidelines. The city is now piloting a community response team of medical professionals and social workers to respond to mental health- or disability-related calls.

It also says the city may form an unarmed traffic unit to enforce all "non-moving traffic violations." The city has vowed to review and update its use-of-force policies.

The city has since adopted a citation policy that tells officers to ticket offenders for traffic infractions or misdemeanors, rather than arrest them.

The council on Monday approved some amendments to its policy, which officials said it updated to reflect the changes already made or considered more achievable today.

Council Member Dan Jerzak on Monday pushed for the city to stop rehashing the four-year-old resolution and to leave it as-is, while celebrating what has been achieved. Jerzak said almost all of the reforms have now been approved or at least considered by the council.

"Let's recognize where we're at, what our successes are," Jerzak said. "It doesn't mean we can't continue to grow and move forward."

In addition to the reforms considered in the resolution, City Manager Reggie Edwards said the city has made progress by adjusting how it trains police with a focus on de-escalation, as well as increasing collaboration across city departments on public safety issues.

Push to revisit traffic stop policy

In a blow to residents pushing for policy changes, the council in January 2024 voted 3-2 against a resolution that would have limited when police can initiate traffic stops.

The proposal would have prevented officers from stopping drivers for violations such as broken windshield wipers, a cracked windshield, a noisy muffler, or an improperly displayed or expired license plate.

Amity Dimock, mother of Dimock-Heisler, told the council on Monday there have been talks about "revisiting the traffic stop" policy changes, "so let's not forget about that."

Graves told the Star Tribune on Tuesday she doesn't feel confident that if she were to bring up changing the traffic stop policy with the new council that the outcome would be any different.

Dimock said residents' "goal is really to keep this community safer" and "for the ones that have been on board and not causing a slowdown on it, I really appreciate you."