EDITORIAL: POST board gets needed authority

Jun. 6—Why it matters: The board that monitors licensed police officer gets updated standards, more authority.

The call for policing reform following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has focused on more accountability and oversight of officers.

Now, the Minnesota Peace Officers and Standards Training Board finally has the authority and upgraded standards to do just that.

The POST Board now has the power to address misconduct by officers without having to wait for an officer to be convicted of a crime.

The board only had the authority to revoke Chauvin's police license more than a year after the murder when Chauvin was finally sentenced.

Boards that oversee the licensing of other professionals, such as lawyers or teachers, are able to revoke a license for misconduct without the license holder being charged or convicted of a crime. The inability of the POST Board to do the same tied its hands when cops committed serious misconduct.

The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association as well as Law Enforcement Labor Services, who represent police officers, say the POST board's new authority creates an "unreasonable set of rules that lead to hesitation, fear, and uncertainty," by officers. But the The POST Board says due process is still in place that involves an administrative law judge, access to counsel and witnesses.

The POST Board also recently updated its standards to include a ban on officers belonging to hate groups. The fact some officers were involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and had espoused white supremacist views on social media shows the need for more scrutiny of officers and would-be officers.

The changes at the POST Board, which had the backing of the Legislature, will help restore public trust in law enforcement and weed out the few officers who egregiously violate standards.