Brooklyn Center fires city manager, gives mayor control of the police department

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

In the span of just a couple of hours Monday evening, a Minneapolis suburb appears to have fundamentally refashioned its leadership after a local police officer shot and killed an unarmed Black man during a traffic stop the day before.

Brooklyn Center, Minn., which erupted in protest Sunday as word of 20-year-old Daunte Wright’s death spread, now has a new city manager and — at least temporarily — a new de facto leader of the police department after a city council vote that granted the mayor “command authority” over the agency.

The overhaul is likely to give Mayor Mike Elliott the power to fire the police chief and police officers, one legal expert told The Washington Post.

“At such a tough time, this will streamline things and establish a chain of command and leadership,” Elliott wrote after the motion passed by a 3-to-2 vote. Elliott, who by law serves on the council, and two other members voted in the affirmative.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/04/12/brookly-center-mayor-police-control/

[marble falls]

1. As a nation we need to take control of our police forces.

[The Magistrate]

2. We May Hope The Mayor Does The Right Thing, Sir

When a police headquarters flies the 'thin blue line' rag after one of their own has executed someone over a misdemeanor warrant during a pretextual traffic stop, wholesale firings are required, as is reopening investigation into any complaints of police brutality dismissed by that department.

[Mysterian]

11. You got that right

I thought the same thing when I saw they put that flag up. Just a symbol, but a symbol of something very wrong with that police department.

[onetexan]

32. +1 -K&R

Is the mayor a Republican?

[MichMan]

3. Why was he fired?

[TwilightZone]

4. Explained in the article and excerpt.

“At such a tough time, this will streamline things and establish a chain of command and leadership,” Elliott wrote after the motion passed by a 3-to-2 vote. Elliott, who by law serves on the council, and two other members voted in the affirmative.

[MichMan]

8. Why wouldn't they just move supervision of the police from him instead of firing completely?

It seems like it was a reaction to him saying the cop deserved due process as it occurred right after that statement

[Ligyron]

10. Oh, it absolutely was...

Apparently some mindsets only understand and respond properly to tough, decisive action with no excuse. That's going to send them one serious message and I hope they respond to it so that few have to lose their profession and benefits.

I tend to think of the children myself.

[MichMan]

13. Due process is wrong?

Everyone here was demanding it for Gov Cuomo and lamenting it wasn't given to Sen. Franken.

[Ligyron]

16. Sure, and I was one of them.

But our party's appetite for self immolation is a bit hard to take anymore.

Besides, people are being murdered on the sides of our roads and highways for the flimsiest of excuse and this just cannot be tolerated as oh well, that's just the way it is.

Swift and decisive action is needed to the point no law enforcement officer charged with the public's safety would dare continue in this practice.

and while the wife may well have signed on for this lifestyle, the children certainly did not and again ... I think of them.

Thank you for your observation which is well taken.

[RobinA]

21. Due Process

is always wrong for the other guy. You must be new here!

[Hoyt]

5. Hopefully, this is start of cities recognizing leadership is big reason for many of these tragedies.

Unneeded traffic stops and the like, poor police selection and training, etc., are the responsibility of the local government.

[MineralMan]

6. Good job by that City Council

Expect to see the cop who shot the man fired, along with the Police Chief.

[dlk]

7. America has a serious police brutality problem

Firing bad cops only addresses part of this endemic issue, and that’s after the damage has been done.

[NJCher]

9. this sounds like a great solution, but

I'm not sure it can be duplicated.

snip

Brooklyn Center is what’s known as a charter city, giving it “incredibly broad authority to act,” said David Schultz, a Minnesota legal scholar and expert on state and local law.

snip

It seems like the right thing to do in this situation.

[littlemissmartypants]

12. Excellent. Every cop serving needs to be stressing and obsessing

Over the possibility they could be immediately terminated for these f*ck ups.

Enough is enough.

Dammit!

[Martin68]

14. Yes, this is the kind of determined and purposeful action that needs to be taken to start to deal

with police abuse of authority, lack of training, and violation of established policies in cases involving African Americans and other people of color.

[BobTheSubgenius]

15. Without being very familiar (or even familiar at all) with the workings of the city and its PD,

it's hard to know how good an idea this is. There is certainly room for the dreaded Unintended Consequences.

[LT Barclay]

17. Okay, maybe I am showing some age, but

when did "city manager" become a thing?
I thought that WAS the mayor's job.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. I can't speak for Brooklyn Center, population of ca. 31,000

the size of one of the neighborhoods here in Philly, but we have a "City Managing Director" position who is basically the one who oversees and coordinates basically all of the city's departments - https://www.phila.gov/mdo/pages/default.aspx

Managing Director's Office

The Managing Director’s Office (MDO) is the Cabinet-level executive office with oversight of the city’s operating departments. The MDO provides support, assistance, and coordination to build sustainable infrastructure within and across departments, ensuring the efficient delivery of quality services to the public.

The MDO plays a major role in the development and implementation of key policy initiatives; monitors and analyzes the performance and progress of individual departments; and serves as a catalyst to encourage cooperation and collaboration across departments. Additionally, several significant outward-facing public service programs are housed within MDO.

The MDO is organized around five cabinets, each of whom oversees the operating departments relevant to specific program areas.

Community & Culture

The Community & Culture division oversees a number of departments and offices that are focused on quality of life assets that help to make Philadelphia a great place to work and live.

Community Services

The Community Services division oversees a number of outward-facing programs that provide services directly to the public. These offices and programs focus on enhancing quality of life and improving how citizens engage with their communities and their city government.

Health & Human Services

The Health & Human Services division works to ensure the success of Philadelphia’s children, families, and vulnerable adults through the alignment of strategies and programs to combat poverty and buffer its effects.

Public Safety

The Public Safety division is a grouping of departments and independent offices that deal directly with the public safety or criminal justice systems. The cabinet is designed to provide coordination between the Police Department, Fire Department, Prison System, Office of Emergency Management, and Department of Licenses & Inspections. Additionally, the division serves as a liaison to the First Judicial District, District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff, and the Defenders Association.

Transportation & Infrastructure

The Office of Transportation & Infrastructure Systems (oTIS) (link) is charged with driving change throughout the City’s transportation and infrastructure systems by promoting a focus on increased mobility, safety, and sustainability through the implementation of innovative solutions.

So as a "working" example, if we have a big event here in the city like the July 4th "Wawa Welcome America" festival and fireworks (usually a couple day thing), the Managing director coordinates with all the heads of the above divisions (each of whom oversee various departments), who would all need to be involved in the planning, execution, and close-out of that event, as big events like that touch every one of those areas. E.g., type of event (community culture), location of the event and impact (community services), street closures & transit detours (transportation), park usage and cleanup (community culture and transportation, which covers sanitation), inspecting food vendors and making First Aid stations available (health), crowd control (public safety), etc.

There's no way a mayor of a city of almost 1.6 million can do that. I expect even on a smaller scale level like Brooklyn Center, that individual is the direct supervisor to the municipal departments within the city government, save a few that might directly report to the mayor.

Gotta get hooked up to this to get an even more in depth answer -

[LT Barclay]

19. So basically a hired "Number One". That I can grasp.

Thanks for the picture, I'll have to save that!!

[BumRushDaShow]

20. That's it!

And that's basically what the "Executive Officer" (Commander Riker) does on a ship.

Dwight Schultz will still be Murdoch to me too...

[LT Barclay]

22. How stupid of me, I never noticed it was the same actor

I loved Murdoch

[BumRushDaShow]

23. Oh yeah!!!

When I saw him appearing as a recurring character on TNG I was like, WAIT!!!!

(ya gotta know and embrace the details of your (new) account name )

[LT Barclay]

24. Well that just makes the whole thing better.

I found a stray dog way back then and named him Murdoch. I wasn't able to keep him though because I renting from my sister. My brother-in-law hated the name.
He was such a great dog, I still feel guilty about taking him to the humane society (it was the only game in town in those days) and don't know if he found a good home. He was still a pup.
I'm working my way through TNG again now, so I'll be paying better attention. I haven't been able to watch "Picard" yet. I wonder if he'll make an appearance there.

[BumRushDaShow]

25. He did appear in a bunch of Voyager eps

including the one in the 6th season where Star Fleet finally makes contact with the ship thanks to his (unauthorized) experimentation (ST VOY: "Pathfinder" ) -

So if you have never had chance to see any of the 7 Voyager seasons, then add to your list (I don't think he ever appeared in DS9)...

He was also in the 8th Trek film (first "standalone" movie for TNG) "First Contact" -

[LT Barclay]

26. Thanks, I did see them, but it has been a while.

I rewatched DS9, the original series and I'm starting TNG. I'm introducing my kids to TNG because I think its the best. Then I'll start into the movies. I thought First Contact was the best movie and Voyager was probably 2nd favorite series.
Thanks for the clips. I had that look when I was able to walk near Jacques Cousteau, but he did better than I, I couldn't even speak!

[BumRushDaShow]

27. I did manage to go to a Creation Con almost 20 years ago

where Shatner and Nimoy were featured (and I got their John Hancocks), but I also got to meet Robert Picardo (who was born and raised here in Philly).

It's great to be a fan of a scifi universe whose actors are aligned with us and don't hold back speaking their minds!

Link to tweet

TEXT

Robert Picardo
@RobertPicardo
⁦@Jim_Jordan is a shameless, abrasive, grandstanding phony. And those are his good qualities.
See Dr. Anthony Fauci's heated exchange with Jim Jordan over protests...
Dr. Anthony Fauci, and other health experts, testify before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. An exchange between Rep. Jim Jordan (R-O...
youtube.com
12:05 AM · Apr 16, 2021

Link to tweet

TEXT

Robert Picardo
@RobertPicardo
⁦@RepMattGaetz⁩ ‘s claim that he’s “never paid for sex” may give new meaning to #FormerGuy ‘s penchant for “stiffing the subcontractors” . Try the veal!
The Justice Department is investigating the involvement of Representative Matt Gaetz, above, and Joel Greenberg with multiple women who were recruited online for sex and whether they had sex with a 17-year-old girl.
Indicted Gaetz Associate Is Said to Be Cooperating With Justice Dept.
Joel Greenberg, a former elected official in Florida, has been talking to federal investigators since last year about the conduct of Representative Matt Gaetz and others.
nytimes.com
8:38 PM · Apr 13, 2021

[LT Barclay]

28. I hadn't read any of Picardo's.

I don't do twitter, but his wit is as sharp as George Takei's.

Shatner and Nimoy is great!

I can only claim Jane Goodall and Jean Michel Cousteau (but I bought his, haven't met him yet).

[BumRushDaShow]

29. I don't have a twitter account either

I just go to their twitter webpages to see what they tweeted (I do the same with the major news sites to get the breaking news links). Between Picardo, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and Marina Sirtis - they rip the GOP a new one continually!

(as a sidenote - it looks like twitter is down )

[LT Barclay]

30. What a awesome group. Makes me more proud to be a big fan of the show.

I did see a segment on Youtube where Brent Spiner was impersonating Patrick Stewart, and Marina Sirtis should do stand up, she was really funny discussing her costumes on TNG.

[BumRushDaShow]

31. I did finally see that last year and it was a riot.

Back in January, Stewart got his shot (at a drive-through mass vaccination site) -

Link to tweet

TEXT

Patrick Stewart
@SirPatStew
How do we say thank you to the health workers and scientists for their sacrifice and service? Receive the vaccine as soon as one can to lessen their load and keep wearing a mask to protect fellow citizens. In my 80th year, I am grateful and hopeful for better days ahead.
3:44 PM · Jan 22, 2021