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A long-time public safety group is asking the Minneapolis City Council to help fund community centers that aim to build trust between residents and law enforcement. 

The Unity Community Mediation Team — which has formally

with the Minneapolis Police Department on reform since 2003 — asked the council Wednesday for $937,900 to help cover costs. 

Ian Bethel, chair of the UCMT, said he envisions nine centers to build relationships between law enforcement and Black, LGBTQ+, Indigenous and Latin communities. Currently, six centers have established sites at locations that include NAACP Minneapolis and the Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center.

Those are spaces where residents can stay informed on public safety issues and casually raise law enforcement concerns with liaisons. New officers in training are also paired with mentors at the centers in order to better understand the communities they serve. 

Rachel Dionne-Thunder, co-founded the Indigenous Protector Movement which houses one of the centers on East Franklin Avenue, said she’s seen community members come by who would never file a complaint report due to distrust of police.

Instead of using their own name or address, they are able to file a complaint using the Indigenous Protector Movement name and address. That community center averages about one complaint every two weeks, said Dionne-Thunder.

“They feel like they have that extra layer of protection,” she said. “And so these are just details that we’re able to do to pull in more community.”

Dionne-Thunder said liaisons at the center have also helped work with families who are apprehensive about asking the police for help finding missing relatives. 

The financial ask for the centers would help cover office leases and paid positions, leaders said, adding that the spaces depend heavily on volunteer work. 

Council members expressed support for the Unity Community Mediation Team’s work, but asked for more details to understand the scope of the services provided. 

“One thing I often hear from the Latino community is the mistrust we sometimes have with law enforcement and how scary it can be when calling 911,” said council member Jason Chavez, who represents Ward 9. “And I see these sites as a way to help build that trust.”

Bethel, chair of the UCMT, said the centers are also a site for mediation — preventing some complaints from needing to be filed in the first place. He said rumors of police brutality started to spread recently after a Minneapolis police car and cyclist collided. 

But after members of the team reviewed footage of the incident with family, Bethel said, they were able to see that the officer provided aid to the man and hadn’t attacked him, as some had charged online. The incident was de-escalated through mediation and no complaint was filed. 

The Minneapolis City Council will finalize their amendments to Mayor Jacob Frey’s recommended budget in December, before Frey gives it a final sign-off.

Cari Spencer

Author

The Unity Community Mediation Team — which has formally worked with the Minneapolis Police Department on reform since 2003 — asked the city council Wednesday for $937,900 to help cover costs. 

Audience members listen to the Minneapolis City Council

Minneapolis community safety group asks city council for more money

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