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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey rolled out his proposal for a new policy for serving search warrants in the city on Monday in the wake of the shooting death of Amir Locke during a warrant raid in February. 

It bans no-knock warrants in all but the most extreme circumstances.

Under the new rules, police would have to wait 20 seconds before entering during the daytime and 30 seconds for nighttime searches. Searches would be classified by their relative risk. The plan also includes regular civilian review of search video and public disclosure of warrant data.

“There is the safer entry tactics, which would include the enhanced technology that we would be using, and then there's the civilian review, internally at the MPD, as well as the additional accountability practices,” the mayor said.

Frey said eventually a formal written policy will outline training and new entry practices. 

Frey talks no-knock warrants, public trust, Amir Locke

No-knock warrants ‘just need to be banned’

DeRay McKesson, with a police reform group, Campaign Zero, hailed the changes.

“What is powerful about this proposed policy is that every search warrant will require a waiting time,” McKesson said as he joined Frey on Monday. “There is no other city where every search warrant requires a waiting time. There are two states that have a 20-second waiting time. That's Maryland and Maine. There is not state or city that has 30 seconds.”

Frey said the policy will go through a full legal vetting and retraining of police before taking effect.

Tim Nelson

Author

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey rolled out his proposal for a new policy for serving search warrants in the city, which includes a 20-second entry pause for daytime warrants and 30-second waits for nighttime searches, as well as use of additional ballistic protection.

Frey announces new search warrant policy in Minneapolis

Screenshot via livestream file

A group of Minneapolis residents inside the City Hall.

Frey announces new search warrant policy in Minneapolis

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