A better policy on search warrants

The proposed new policy on no-knock warrants unveiled this week by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey would move the Police Department in the right direction, but there's more work to be done.

The announcement of the new rules comes nearly six weeks after a Minneapolis cop fatally shot Amir Locke, 22, during the execution of no-knock warrants at a downtown apartment building. Locke was not a target of the investigation and was not named in the search warrants.

The Star Tribune Editorial Board has noted that when Locke was killed, officers followed the policies that were in place. The board also argued that the rules should be tightened to make the use of no-knock warrants as rare as possible — keeping citizens and police safer in the process.

In the raid that ended in Locke's death, Minneapolis police quietly entered the apartment with a key then loudly announced their presence. Within nine seconds, Locke stirred from his spot under a blanket on a couch with his hand on a gun before an officer opened fire.

Frey told an editorial writer that under the new policy, which is still being revised, the practice of using unannounced, no-knock warrants would end.

Instead, cops executing warrants would have to knock, announce their presence and wait a minimum of 20 seconds before entering a property during the day. At night, the wait time would be at least 30 seconds. Warrant requests would be classified as low-, medium- or high-risk, with each category requiring a higher level of approval within the MPD. Only the city's SWAT team would execute high-risk warrants.

According to the mayor, officers would be trained in new, safer "entry tactics,'' which could include the use of ballistic shields designed to protect them from gunfire. The department might also use technology such as drones or robotics, to understand more about building layouts and occupants with a possible goal of "verbally contacting any occupants [of the location] to elicit cooperation."

The policy could include some of the provisions in a Minnesota House bill that has been introduced this session that would restrict the use of no-knock warrants to hostage situations only. That's too narrow, but language in the bill that calls for "clear and convincing evidence" about the need for the warrants should be standard in any policy.

Local and national law enforcement experts have mixed views about no-knock practices. Some say they should be banned; others think there is still a need for them in certain circumstances.

But at the very least, any policy ultimately adopted in Minneapolis should be aimed at dramatically reducing the number of potentially dangerous searches. According to city data, on average the MPD executes nearly 140 no-knock warrants a year.

"This proposed warrant and entry policy is an important step in the right direction to create an opportunity for our Police Department to make sure they keep our residents safe and rebuild community trust," City Council President Andrea Jenkins said in a prepared statement. And Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw, the chair of the Public Health and Safety Committee, agreed, calling the plan "a strong policy proposal."

The MPD will write the new policy and finalize it in about three weeks, Frey said at this week's news conference. He also said Interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman supports the proposal.