As 2023 comes to a close, CJI also completes its engagement with the Duluth Police Department (DPD). Over the past year, CJI has worked collaboratively with DPD, Duluth’s Racial Bias Audit Team (RBAT), and members of the Duluth community to assess Department–community relations, identify shared priorities, and develop possible solutions to create a sustainable path forward.
The CJI team wraps up their engagement with the delivery of the Duluth Racial Bias Audit Closeout Memo, a summary of the implementation planning activities CJI facilitated with DPD, RBAT and the community as a result of the findings identified during the Duluth Racial Bias Audit. The memo is intended to act as a springboard by which members of the Duluth community and DPD can support the implementation of changes to focus areas including:
- Officer demeanor in public interactions,
- DPD’s discretionary stops strategy and data collection,
- Racial and ethnic disparities in DPD’s vehicle stops,
- Community satisfaction with the complaints process, and
- Creating a shared definition of public safety.
Background:
After the release of the Duluth Racial Bias Audit: Final Report on Findings and Considerations in August 2023, the CJI team delivered a series of public presentations summarizing information from the report to help DPD, RBAT and members of the community identify areas of focus for implementation. Following delivery of the final presentation, CJI facilitated several community planning meetings to help lay the foundation for implementation efforts moving forward.
To learn more about the Duluth Racial Bias Audit visit the links below: