Brooklyn Center approves policing changes after Daunte Wright shooting

Elected officials in the Minneapolis suburb where a police officer shot dead Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April have approved a plan to dramatically change policing practices.

The Brooklyn Center city council voted 4-1 on Saturday for a resolution to create new divisions of unarmed civilian employees to handle non-moving traffic violations and respond to mental health crises.

The resolution also limits situations in which officers can make arrests and requires more de-escalation efforts by police before using deadly force.

A new Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention is envisioned, to oversee efforts on community health and public safety, led by a director with public health expertise.

The city attorney has said adopting the resolution isn’t a final action, but commits the city to change.

Several police groups have raised concerns, saying parts of the resolution conflict with state law and will put public safety at risk. No police officers spoke at Saturday’s meeting.