State Representative
Rich Stanek

(ST. PAUL) -- Following months of determined committee debate and input from Minnesota law enforcement officers, members of minority communities and other Minnesotans, a joint House-Senate working group has reached an agreement for setting a statewide policy and training law enforcement officers on racial profiling, House Judiciary Finance Chairman Rich Stanek said.

"After months of taking testimony, hearing often politically-charged debate, and crafting our separate bills, this week was the time for real action. We all agreed at the start of this session that the issue of racial profiling is one that needs attention immediately," he said. "So I was very disappointed when (Senate Crime Chair Jane) Ranum declared this issue dead for this year and left the table. Unfortunately, citizens who may be unfairly targeted and officers who encounter racial tension on a daily basis don't have that choice."

Although Ranum tried to label the new accord as "unmeaningful" during recent committee discussions, Stanek countered that the plan passed this year would likely to be used as model legislation for other states in the future.

"All of the House offers have considered the Senate's demands and took the discussion of racial profiling well past the study point-- saying that racial profiling is wrong and backing that up with model policies and training objectives to prevent profiling from occurring," said Stanek, who is a Minneapolis Police Inspector and 17-year veteran officer. "We have and continue to encourage officers to work closer with the community to prevent crime and find real solutions to the social problems that contribute to crime."

Stanek added that at $4.3 million in funding, the racial profiling education and police training program is one of the committee's biggest priorities.

Anoka County Sheriff Larry Podany agreed. "This is a good compromise between the House and Senate and for all parties engaged in this debate. The increased training for our officers and the establishment of anti-racial profiling policies take very big steps toward improving race-related tension between citizens and police officers."

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Mandating that local police agencies implement procedures and collect specific data has been a sticking point for Stanek and House members. The latest proposal offered by Stanek meets the Senate's request for police video cameras in squad cars, but also finds a funding source for local agencies to tap into. Much of the cost for the cameras and mandated training would be covered by $3 increase in fees in surcharges on offenders.

Other costs that would be covered by the increased surcharge include reimbursements to local law enforcement agencies for the cost of participating in the voluntary racial profiling study, including the installation of cameras; Police Officers Standards and Training (POST) Board costs for regional training seminars; oversight and analysis of racial profiling data; costs of continuing education training for officers; a public awareness campaign; and, a toll-free phone number administered by the Attorney General's office to receive racial profiling complaints.

Stanek said he believes that this agreement will help potential victims of racial profiling without unfairly creating a burden on smaller local law enforcement agencies. Additionally, the legislation would:

set up a statewide racial profiling study in which local governments could participate in quarterly electronic data submission to DPS and a legislative advisory committee;

allows police officer candidates holding a 4-year degree to immediately enter the skills training portion of the police licensing exam;

establish a model anti-racial profiling policy that must be adopted and enforced by agencies throughout Minnesota;

require the establishment of pre-service and in-service training learning objectives;

establish regional seminars and training materials for officers to attend to learn how to prevent the practice of racial profiling;

hold racial profiling data confidential;

establish a racial profiling advisory committee for two years;

require the State Patrol to identify minority recruitment measures; and

retain an outside expert to review, analyze and report their findings to the Legislature.

Stanek's proposal has the support of Gov. Jesse Ventura and DPS Commissioner Charlie Weaver, who himself served as state representative from Anoka for 10 years and as the county's criminal prosecutor. "The governor wants a solution to this issue this year, and believes the compromise plan is both sincere and complete," Weaver said.

Stanek credited the leadership of Senate Transportation budget and policy chairmen Randy Kelly and Dean Johnson in getting past sizeable hurdles.

The measure was approved on a voice vote in the conference committee Friday. Similar language passed the House with 107-21 in May.

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