As a Black man in Minnesota, Timothy Brewington said that where he comes from, when you encounter a police officer, you turn around.
“You don’t want eye contact, you don’t want any type of communication,” Brewington said. “And it’s really the uniform. You try to stay away from the uniform.”
In Black culture, police often represent the opposite of what they’re meant to, he said. Instead of safety, they present fear among people of color – and the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020 further cemented this for many.
Black communities also tend to be more aware that American policing as we know it evolved in part from slave patrols that were “empowered to control and deny access to equal rights to freed slaves,” as the NAACP explains it.
So, where do people go from there? In a country where policing is meant to serve as the system of safety, of protection, of servanthood, how does law enforcement ensure the well-being of their entire community is protected regardless of race, identity and ability?
Woodbury, a growing population of more than 80,000, does not claim to have all the answers, but it is being intentional in hearing everyone’s voices, according to Public Safety Director and Chief Jason Posel.
In 2019, Woodbury’s Public Safety Department and members of the community joined together to create the Multicultural Advisory Committee, or MAC, to help strengthen the relationship between police and the community. Each committee member volunteers to represent their various ethnic and cultural backgrounds and work alongside law enforcement to review policy, help create initiatives and form relationships, which all contribute to creating a safer community.
“Our mission, the reason why we exist, is to serve all people with compassion and courage,” Posel said. “The Multicultural Advisory Committee is an opportunity for us to connect with the community, to work with the community to help address issues.”
Bridging gaps
The committee started in 2019 after a woman called the police department and shared how her grandson had negative encounters with law enforcement outside of Woodbury. With the desire that her grandson and others would feel safe and connected, she suggested that the community and the department have conversations to try to build trust, according to Brewington. From there, the committee bloomed and now has close to 20 members who meet in person every fourth Monday of the month.
“Like in any relationship, you have to get to know the person and, over time, you can really open up and state how you feel,” said Brewington, who joined the committee in 2019. “But the timing of the formation of this group was important, because we started in the early part of 2019, and then George Floyd was murdered in May of 2020.”
The group wasn’t formed out of crisis, Brewington said, but rather to address an existing systemic issue. Floyd’s murder, which created a massive outcry in Minnesota and globally, became a sort of “testing ground” for the committee, he said.
“That experience taught me that the department was serious about building relationships,” Brewington said. “It wasn’t just something to check off the box, something to put on the website.”
Muna Abdi, a Somali-American Minnesotan who joined the committee in 2020, said it is an opportunity for community members to have a seat at the table.
“I feel like it’s a place for me to come and advocate for community members and actually build trust with law enforcement,” Abdi said.
MAC impact
Committee members are involved in new officer hiring processes whenever possible, and more than 20 officers have been hired with use of the members’ input, Posel said. Committee members separately interview potential hires with their own set of questions, which allows the department to evaluate candidates through different lenses, Posel said.
“What I appreciate is tangible outcomes as a result of us coming together,” Brewington said.
The MAC doesn’t operate under one leader but rather as a collective, through facilitated conversations led by community member Shawn Sorrell. They meet in community spaces like the YMCA, Hero Center and the Public Safety Department, and are always asking the question “Who’s not represented?” Brewington said. Posel said this can include seniors, youth, additional multicultural communities and the LGBTQ+ community.
During the meetings, the committee will cover things from community programming to law enforcement training to traffic stops, development, policy and practices, Posel said.
“But sometimes, something’s happening in the world and we change our agenda so we can talk about what’s happening,” Brewington said.
Related Articles
Minnesota State Patrol’s first chaplain retires, reflects on ‘pinnacle of his pastoral experience’
West St. Paul police arrest 2 carjacking suspects after pursuit into St. Paul
Eagan police hope new device helps stop some pursuits in their tracks
Artist of Suni Lee sculpture in St. Paul, now stolen, hopes it’s returned to community
Farmington woman charged with aiding boyfriend in fatal Apple Valley stabbing
Members are not shy, either, Brewington said – if something is impacting them and it’s not being addressed, they’ll make it known. Right now, conversations for the committee surrounding immigration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are front and center.
Posel said the department has discussed what their role is in federal enforcement, and that Woodbury’s focus is to “enforce state law and to work with the community to address issues,” which has provided clarity to the volunteers on the role of officers. Brewington said, from the community perspective, members have shared information to help people know what their rights are, where to go if they need help and what resources are available to them.
“There’s a lot of this mutual sharing that happens during our discussions,” Brewington said.
Why it matters
Brewington said being a part of the committee has given him an appreciation for how complicated the role of an officer is and an understanding of how necessary it is for officers to have good moral values, to understand their prejudices and dispositions and not allow them to impact how they treat people.
He said it’s shown him that most officers want to come to work, do a good job and serve their community.
“In the past, my tendency has been to put everybody in the same group,” Brewington said. “Now, I don’t want that done to me, but I do that to officers. This has been an experience for me to see beyond the uniform.”
Abdi said she remembers her first ride-along with officers after joining the committee, which is something each volunteer is encouraged to do at least once a year, according to Posel. Abdi spent four hours observing how officers interacted with her community.
“Seeing the practicality of the work, it was really mind-blowing,” Abdi said. “When you see an officer who’s handling the work with care and respect, it’s really amazing.”
Everyone in Woodbury wants to feel safe and respected and experience fair treatment, Abdi said, which is why she’s involved to advocate for others. Committee volunteers often feel as though they are ambassadors for the community, Brewington said, and their experiences carry with them in conversations with family and friends.
“The history of distrust between the police department and communities of color, it’s always present, and this group works to restore that relationship,” Brewington said.
Fear is what brought the members to the table, Brewington said, and unfortunately, while he feels safe, seen and valued in Woodbury, that doesn’t necessarily translate outside of the community. Woodbury’s is one of the few departments in the state to have a Multicultural Advisory Committee, according to the department.
“I still get that nervous feeling when there’s an officer behind me or within eyesight of me as I’m driving around (outside of Woodbury),” Brewington said.
An amazing place to live
Woodbury is an amazing place to live, Abdi said, a place where she feels at home and safe.
Brewington added that he believes Woodbury is a great place to live because of leadership from the mayor, city council, police department and other entities that focuses greatly on community engagement.
As the parent of a child with special needs, Brewington said he’s long been concerned with how officers would interact and misinterpret his child’s unwillingness to abide by commands, a fear he said many parents of neurodivergent children have.
Related Articles
Republican joins 2 DFLers in race for Nicole Mitchell’s former Senate seat
Twin Cities road closures this weekend for I-94, I-694, I-35W and I-35E
Gov. Tim Walz calls special elections for 2 vacant Senate seats
Divided government means high stakes for Woodbury special election
Wisconsin man pleads guilty in crash that killed Mahtomedi High School classmates
Now, because of what he knows of the training and resources of the Woodbury department, “if something happens with my son, I feel comfortable calling the department to come and provide aid,” he said.
It’s important to engage the community in building relationships with law enforcement and creating solutions together, Brewington said, which is as important now as it’s ever been, he said.
“This is our proactive antidote to what’s trying to divide us,” Brewington said.
Other Minnesota cities that have similar committees include Roseville, Maplewood, Coon Rapids, Hopkins, Columbia Heights, St. Louis Park, Bloomington, Edina and more.
Woodbury Multicultural Advisory Committee
To learn more about the committee or get involved, visit woodburymn.gov/881/Multicultural-Advisory-Committee.
Leave a Reply