Donate
Contact

Our service offerings are rooted in data and real-world insights.

All Services

Wilder Research provides the tools and the insights you need to make well-grounded, effective decisions.

Research Home

Wilder walks alongside families throughout their journey—providing care, connection, and support along the way.

Advocating for systemic equity and opportunities for all Minnesotans.

Advocacy Home

Together, we create pathways to well-being, opportunity, and a stronger community for all.

Donate Now

Wilder has worked alongside communities to break down barriers and create pathways to lasting change.

Learn More
Research Project

Brooklyn Park Equity in Public Safety

When Minneapolis police officers killed George Floyd in May 2020,…
Date Modified:
Topics:
Project Type
Client Organization

Project Details

When Minneapolis police officers killed George Floyd in May 2020, the nearby city of Brooklyn Park began urgent work, including convening listening sessions and tasking city commissions with creating a work plan to improve the Brooklyn Park Police Department.

In December 2020, the City of Brooklyn Park hired Wilder Research to uncover the root causes of violence in Brooklyn Park, understand community perceptions of the Brooklyn Park Police Department, create research-driven recommendations to improve community safety, and develop a tool to assess and improve the Brooklyn Park Police Department’s performance. Wilder Research reviewed existing research on community safety and policing, analyzed Brooklyn Park specific community survey data related to the root causes of violence, and conducted interviews with residents and employees of Brooklyn Park.

High-level findings:

  • There are risks of violence when people are not economically secure or connected to their community.
  • There are disparities in Brooklyn Park that likely contribute to violence and disorder.
  • Improving traditional policing may not improve safety.
  • Brooklyn Park Police Department policies and interviewee themes support that procedural justice is a key strength; even so, some BPPD policies and Minnesota laws conflict with best practices.

Recommendations:

  • Focus on prevention. To improve safety, the city should address inequities, and ensure that the social conditions where safety thrives are equally distributed across races and places in Brooklyn Park.
  • Improve interventions. The city should explore using community-based mental health and substance use responses, school-based safety workers, and other efforts to reimagine police responsibilities. The city should also partner with community stakeholders to expand focused deterrence initiatives, and interventions including treatment and restorative justice. 
  • Assess BPPD for improvements. We developed a scorecard to measure BPPD performance. We recommend the city, BPPD, and community members impacted by systemic marginalization and police contact partner to assess and recommend changes to BPPD.

Project Reports

Brooklyn Park: Improving Safety and Policing, Evaluation Report

2021

This report presents findings from community interviews, a review of community indicators, and a literature review to better understand the root causes of community violence, policing in Brooklyn Park, and ways to address violence in the city.

Download Report

Brooklyn Park Police Department Scorecard

2021

Wilder Research developed a scorecard to help Brooklyn Park promote transparency, accountability, de-escalation, and positive relationships with Brooklyn Park residents.

Download Instrument

Improving Safety and Policing, City of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

2021

This infographic presents a summary of the study findings.

Download Infographic

Related Projects

Allina Health Neighborhood Health Connection
The Neighborhood Health Connection program is an Allina Health initiative to increase social connect…
View Project
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) Prevention
These evaluations are part of the Minnesota Department of Human Services Alcohol and Drug Abuse Divi…
View Project
Alcohol Use and Pregnancy
The Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS) worked with Wilder Research to conduct …
View Project
Plus Program
The Alternative Learning Center (ALC) Plus program serves students who are involved with Hennepin Co…
View Project
Aggression Replacement Training
Outlines the results of Aggression Replacement Training for a diverse group of young offenders in Ra…
View Project
African-born Women's and Children's Exposure to Secondhand Smoke
Summarizes the results of focus groups and surveys about the prevalence, awareness, and health impac…
View Project

Partner With Wilder Research

Turn data into action. Our experts collaborate with you to evaluate programs, inform decisions, and drive lasting impact. Let’s work together to create stronger communities through meaningful insights. Contact us today to start a conversation that makes a difference.

Get Started

Wilder
451 Lexington Parkway N
St. Paul, MN 55104

651-280-2000

Instagram Linkedin Facebook Youtube
Services
Impact
Get Involved
Client Links
Research
Wilder Websites
Be the first to know what's good!
Sign up to receive Wilder alerts, news, stories and more.
By filling out this form, you consent to receive emails from Wilder. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

© 2025 Wilder Foundation

Request Housing Search Assistance

items marked with an * are required

Name(Required)
Date of Birth*(Required)
Max. file size: 50 MB.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Schedule an appointment

Schedule a Tour

Request Information