Committee forwards two late Minneapolis Police Department gift-acceptance requests to full council without recommendation

The Administration & Enterprise Oversight Committee heard presentations on two late gift-acceptance requests tied to Minneapolis Police Department travel and voted to forward both items to full City Council without recommendation.

Vicky Troskick Charleswick, director of police financial operations, told the committee the first request was to accept funds from the Arnold Foundation for travel for two staff to participate in a recruitment workshop; the travel totaled $27.50 and the RCA (record of council action) was submitted late because the recruitment team member selection and new-staff awareness occurred after the travel. The second request involved travel for the chief to speak at the Tri City Leadership Academy, with a one-night travel cost of $842; that RCA was also submitted late because the speaker invitation timing prevented earlier submission.

Council member Chugtai pressed for corrective measures and said, “I will not be voting for gift acceptances that are submitted, beyond, the date of, approval by the council, because that is pretty explicitly, in violation of our city policy.” Committee members raised broader concerns about frequency of travel by some staff and the need to document new processes. The committee voted by roll call to forward both items 10 and 11 to full council without recommendation (five ayes, one nay) and directed staff to attach memos and documentation of corrective actions to the referral.

The committee requested that the department use chain-of-command communications and add guidance to new-employee materials; staff agreed to provide follow-up documentation ahead of the full-council consideration.