United States: three years after the death of George Floyd, the Minneapolis police are trying to reform themselves
Minneapolis police officers during a protest after the death of George Floyd, June 7, 2020 (illustration image). Kerem Yucel / AFP
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Three years have passed since the death of African-American George Floyd under the knee of white police officer Derek Chauvin. His death cast a harsh light on the methods of law enforcement and sparked protests across the country under the slogan "Black Lives Matter." It was finally this Friday, March 31, that the city of Minneapolis, this metropolis in the northeast of the United States, announced that it had approved a plan to reform its police.
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InMinneapolis, the use of Taser-type stun guns will now be prohibited unless it is necessary to "protect the officer, the individual or a third party." Police will no longer have to stop vehicles for minor violations, and force can only be used "in a manner proportionate to the perceived threat." Each agent will have the task of avoiding possible tensions.
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Minneapolis residents must be treated humanely " said Rebecca Lucero, chief of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The agreement negotiated between this agency and the city of Minneapolis must serve as a framework for police work that will no longer be guided by racial discrimination.
A text of more than 140 pages
What seems obvious is not obvious in Minneapolis. An investigation launched after the death of George Floyd had shown that nearly 80% of police stops concerned African-American residents while they represent less than 20% of the population. The text of more than 140 pages must come into force as soon as a court has ratified it.
► READ ALSO: The police officer who killed George Floyd sentenced to 21 years in prison by the federal justice
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- United States
- Criminality
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