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Editorial: Cloud hangs over Minneapolis police

Lawsuit to shed needed light on race-based issues among cops.

Last update: December 15, 2007 - 4:00 PM

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DIFFERENT VIEWS

"These are highly competent, high integrity, articulate gentlemen with deep, rich contacts, and the public wants to know what gives."

Minneapolis City Council Member Ralph Remington.

"A lawsuit, regardless of merit, causes angst. People forget a lawsuit is only allegations."

Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan.

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Is the Minneapolis Police Department a bastion of racial bias and discrimination? Or is city law enforcement a model for equitable hiring and promotion practices?

Strong feelings persist on both questions. The department has long faced allegations that it does not treat all employees and citizens equally, and its checkered history includes several notable police brutality cases.

The mayor, chief and some other city officials counter by holding up department employment statistics as testimony to progress. Overall the department employs about 18 percent people of color; among lieutenants, the figure is more than 30 percent.

At the same time, during the past several years the department has paid large settlements to employees and citizens in race cases. And in November an officer of color was awarded a multimillion-dollar settlement after having been shot by another cop.

Given that history, the most recent race-based litigation filed against the department must be taken seriously. And though lawsuits can be difficult, painful and expensive, this one may be needed to get to the heart of issues that have long plagued Minneapolis police operations. In many cities around the country, legal action has been the primary reason that police and fire departments made real progress in including women and minorities.

Earlier this month, five high-ranking African-American officers sued the department and Chief Tim Dolan in federal court, alleging discriminatory treatment in hiring, promotion, assignments, demotions and training. The suit also alleges that the department failed to live up to a federal mediated agreement on diversity.

The plaintiffs are Lts. Lee Edwards, Don Harris and Medaria Arrodondo and Sgts. Dennis Hamilton and Charles Adams. Two of the officers and another unnamed black lieutenant were demoted by Dolan.

The résumés of the officers give more weight to their claims. These are high-profile officers with an average of 20 years of experience. Some had been previously promoted by Dolan. A couple have no records of insubordination or poor performance, but say they were removed from positions or passed over for prime jobs.

Adams, a popular and successful investigator, was transferred out of the homicide unit, according to Dolan, for insubordination. That included contradicting his supervisor in a Star Tribune article about the motive surrounding the death of bicyclist Mark Loesch. The sergeant had never before been disciplined; now the Minneapolis Police Federation has filed a grievance on his behalf.

Now that the legal action has been filed, claims on both sides will get a full hearing. When the evidence is presented, the court and the public can examine the merits of both arguments and get to the bottom of departmental racial concerns. That's a very necessary step for Dolan, the department and the city -- a step that must be taken before more progress can be made toward improving internal and external police/community relations.

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