The following is a deep discussion and analysis into what has been happening in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and /St. Paul, MN) since the death of George Floyd in 2020. Minneapolis was where, as most of us now know, the place where George Floyd died and sparked racial protests around the world and the city’s Third Precinct went up in flames.
Having served in Minneapolis, and been one of their physical force training officers in the 1960s, I have watched (and been dismayed) over the years as some very good police leaders ended up either at stalemates with the police union or subverted by it.
Some say (and I would agree) that the Minneapolis Police Benevolent Association (union) has historically restrained or restricted improvements in police-community relations (especially in the Black community) for a century or more.
On the other hand, their next door neighbor, police in St. Paul, seem to have made some significant improvements in reducing the number of deaths and physical force encounters with their community.
Read on and view the report by the Twin City’s television news source, WCCO.
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Police Chiefs Weigh In On State of Policing 5 Years After Murder of George Floyd
By Jennifer Mayerle
May 25, 2025 / CBS Minnesota
“The calls for change were loud across the country following the murder of George Floyd. Many are calling for police accountability and transparency.
“In 2022, WCCO brought together police chiefs for a candid conversation about policing and use of force as part of a WCCO special. Jennifer Mayerle sat down with the departments recently to talk about the State of Policing, five years after the events of 2020.
“And this time, Minneapolis agreed to participate.
“‘Coming in and as the chief in 2022, two years later, it seems that very obvious to me just how much pain and hurt and trauma and open wounds there are, and they’re still here. People want to move forward, which is what we’re trying to do together,’ Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said.
“‘It affected every city, every police department. So, how are we trying to rebuild those relationships, that trust, even though we weren’t involved in that? And I think we’ve made great strides, but we still have a lot of work to do,’ Eagan Police Chief Eric Werner said…”
Improving Police: A Necessary Conversation 