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General Government <br />2-TPeaceOfficerArbitrationReform <br />Manymunicipalitiesinthemetropolitanareaprovidelawenforcementservices andemploy <br />licensedpeace officers.Toensurethe publicÓssafetyandtrust,andtostrengthen collaboration <br />betweencitizens andpeaceofficers,citiesmusthavetheauthoritytoeffectivelygovernlocal <br />law enforcement agencies. City officials are ultimately responsible for the safety and protection <br />ofthelocalcommunity. <br />Metro Cities supports statutory arbitration reforms to allow for the discipline, including <br />removal, of law enforcement officers who have been found to have violated local law <br />enforcementagencypolicies. <br />MetroCitiesfurthersupports areasonablestandardofreviewinlawenforcement <br />arbitrationcases,whichwould limitthedeterminationofarbitratorstowhetherthe <br />actions of an employer were reasonable and consistent with city and agency policies. Metro <br />Citiesfurthersupportsusingadministrativelawjudges (ALJs)orarbitrationtoaddress <br />grievancesanddisciplinerelatedtopolicemisconduct. <br />2-U Public SafetyTrainingandResources <br />MetroCitiesacknowledges thatthetasks publicsafetyresponders havebeenaskedtoaddress <br />are increasingly the result of inadequate social services and programs. Metro Cities recognizes <br />theneedforadequateresources forsocialservice andmentalhealthservices andprograms to <br />helpreducetheneedforpublicsafetyresponders toperformtheseservices. <br />MetroCitiessupports statefundingforpublicsafetyresponders training,including <br />training for crisis management, cultural awareness and implicit bias, mental health and <br />de-escalation,andsupportsfundingforequipmentsuchas bodycameras. <br />2-V Race Equity <br />Intheseven-countymetropolitanregion, peopleofcolorrepresent28%ofthepopulation, and <br />this percentage isexpectedtogrowto44%by2050,accordingtothecurrentpopulationforecast <br />fromtheMetropolitan Council.Asracialandethnicdiversityincreasesintheregion, peopleof <br />color continue to experience significant barriers in housing, employment, criminal justice, public <br />infrastructure, health, and education, and disparities are becoming more apparent with the <br />COVID-19pandemicandcivilunrestthatis occurringinmanycommunities. <br />Acrossthemetropolitanregion,manycitiesareworkingtoexaminelocalpoliciesandsystems, <br />torevisethedeliveryofpublicservices,andtoallocateresources tohelpadvanceraceequity. <br />Alllevels ofgovernmentaswellas thenonprofitandbusiness sectors haverolestoplayin <br />2022 Legislative Policies <br /> 20 <br /> <br />