Tensions Rise as Brooklyn Center Considers Public Safety Oversight Commission
The Brooklyn Center City Council pushed back plans to implement a public safety oversight commission in a tense meeting on Monday.
Early plans for the commission came as part of the wide-ranging public safety reform package approved by the council in May 2021. It came after Daunte Wright was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop on April 11, 2021.
The council could not agree on reform measures this week, but is expected to reconsider them next month.
Short History
After years of discussion, the council initially created the commission in December 2024.
It’s formal name is the Brooklyn Center Community Safety and Violence Prevention Commission.
The council then reversed course and paused those plans in January as a new council member joined two others in voicing concerns.
A 45-day pause was intended to allow for more discussion on the matter.
The Brooklyn Center City Council pushed back plans to implement a public safety oversight commission in a tense meeting on Monday.
Another Pause
When the issue came back before the council again this week, there were continued concerns from Council Members Dan Jerzak and Kris Lawrence-Anderson regarding specific details in the founding documents defining the duties and responsibilities of the commission.
Meanwhile, Council Member Laurie Ann Moore, who was elected in November, spoke against creating the commission, saying she had a long list of concerns.
“I have said on every meeting since the beginning of the year that I am opposed to this formation and implementation,” Moore said.
The council ultimately pushed back the vote for another 30 days. City staff members plan to revise the founding documents during that 30-day period to address concerns.
“I just wanted to reiterate to council, the definition of consensus doesn’t mean that you agree on all elements,” Council Member Tenisha Kragness said. “So I just want to make sure that everyone keeps that in mind that it’s called a compromise.”
Daunte Wright’s mother, Katie Wright, rebuked the council.
“There has been people that have said, ‘oh, there’s lots of changes. We’ve done everything that we should have done. But unfortunately, the city hasn’t made any changes that would have saved my son from a traffic stop,” she said.
Tense Interaction
There was also a tense interaction between Mayor April Graves and Moore, who felt she was being heckled and recorded by the crowd and interrupted the mayor’s comments.
A transcript of their interaction is below:
Graves: I see this as an opportunity to bring some of those dis-separate sectors together, and having those four non-voting members that gives us an opportunity to do so …
Moore: Mayor!
Graves: Why are you yelling at me?
Moore: I, I’m being — is it O.K. for them to continue to record me?
Graves: Kevin comes in here and records all the time.
Moore: O.K., you know, well the heckling and the snapping —
Graves: I didn’t hear anything Councilmember Moore.
Moore: Well you were not, you’re looking forward. I, it’s …
Graves: You don’t have to look at them either, just …
Moore: I understand that mayor, but there are things happening that you may not be aware of that have continued throughout that you have not addressed, so.
Graves: I didn’t see anything.
Moore: O.K., go ahead. Sorry mayor.
