The College of Minnesota is re-establishing ties with the Minneapolis Police Division two years after distancing itself within the wake of the brutal killing of George Floyd by an MPD officer, an incident captured on video that sparked nationwide protests and prompted schools to rethink such partnerships.
The college introduced in 2020 that it might cease contracting with MPD for assist at campus occasions, reminiscent of athletic outings, concert events and ceremonies, and would discontinue the usage of varied companies offered by the native police division, together with Ok-9 explosive-detection models.
Regardless of backing off that partnership in 2020, the College of Minnesota by no means absolutely broke away from the MPD and confronted criticism earlier this yr for deploying campus police to help different legislation enforcement companies responding to off-campus protests in opposition to police brutality.
On Wednesday, the college introduced that it’ll start the method of reinstating its relationship with the native police. An electronic mail to the campus group saying the change didn’t point out Floyd’s homicide as the explanation for the preliminary distancing, The Star Tribune reported Thursday. The newspaper reported that college officers cited—however didn’t specify—the progress MPD has made in recent times.
MPD will now present safety for main occasions, reminiscent of soccer video games, and different companies.
