The bulk of Monday’s Bemidji City Council meeting was on the proposed police advisory committee.
Bemidji Police Chief Mike Mastin gave a presentation, where he touched on themes such as the many hours of training his officers receive, well beyond the state’s minimum requirements, the 12 complaints against officers received over the last five years, and also urged leaning on the area’s higher education institutions to gather a bigger picture behind what drives incarceration in the community.
The council has the authority to form these committees, and will have the final say on approving a list of members, but the next phase is a working group to have further listening sessions, which will include two council members.
