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Home My WebLink About2026/04/01 - ADMIN - Minutes - Police Advisory Commission - RegularPolice advisory commission meeting April 1, 2026 7:00pm If you need special accommodations or have questions about the meeting, please call Police Lt. Greg Weigel, 952-924-2612, or the administration department at 952.924.2525. Police advisory commission Wed., Apr. 1st | 7:00pm Westwood Rm., City Hall ʹ 3rd Floor Meeting Minutes Call to order ʹ Welcome guests ʹ if any Chair Karl Gamradt called the meeting to order and welcomed several guests in attendance, including Derek Fredenberg (Ward 4 resident), Courtney Fredenberg (Ward 4 resident), Thomas Hines (Ward 2 resident), Council Member Daniel Bashore (Ward 1), Alexander Stone (Ward 1 resident), and Council Member Jim Engelking (Ward 2). Chair Gamradt noted that it happens less frequently than he would like to have a council member present at meetings, especially on a Wednesday night. Roll call Chair Karl Gamradt conducted roll call. Present were Karl Gamradt (Chair), Saul Eugene (Vice Chair), Jillian Dixon, Michael Rydberg, Diane Slais, and Jay Wolkenbrod. Daniel Stockton was noted as absent. Kari Holmes was expected to join late but did not att end. Approval of agenda Chair Gamradt presented brief discussion points he had laid out and asked for any suggestions for edits, amendments, or additions. Hearing none, the agenda was approved unanimously. Approval of March 2026 minutes, No February minutes Chair Gamradt noted the minutes were from March 2026, not January as listed on the agenda. Lieutenant Greg Weigel explained that the minutes were generated using an automated AI system with three levels of detail, and this version used the medium level. He noted that while the crowd control discussion from the previous meeting was largely omitted, they would be covering much of that material again. Chair Gamradt observed that the minutes left out some motions that had failed but otherwise appeared accurate. Motion: Chair Karl Gamradt moved to approve the March 2026 AI-generated minutes. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Brief discussion re mission & expectations Chair Gamradt emphasized the importance of clarity regarding the commission's mission and limitations. He noted that while their mission includes raising public awareness, commissioners must understand they are not elected officials but are appointed by an d serve at the direction of the city council. He stressed the need for commissioners to conduct themselves professionally both amongst each other and in the community, noting that while they don't speak for the city, they represent it through their appointment. Gamradt emphasized the importance of putting on a good face for the city while being mindful not to represent Police advisory commission meeting April 1, 2026 7:00pm themselves as having more authority than they actually possess. Commissioner Michael Rydberg expressed agreement with these points. Brief discussion of update to City Code related to commissions Chair Gamradt explained that the city code had been recently updated with amendments affecting commission bylaws, passed approximately a week after their last meeting. The changes brought language up to current practices, including mentions of commissioner stipends, though secretary language was removed due to AI assistance for minutes. The code still grants power to change bylaws if needed to better reflect current operations versus the 2003 version. Gamradt noted that while the code mentions the ability to call public hearings, it conspicuously lacks mention of the commission's ability to request study sessions with the council, which was granted following the revisioning process. He suggested the council should consider adding this power to the recent revisions. Motion: Chair Karl Gamradt moved to nudge city council to add language about requesting study sessions to the recent commission code revisions. Commissioner Jillian Dixon seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Discussion of proposed SLP separation ordinance Chair Gamradt explained this was a holdover item from the previous meeting, representing a city council request for the commission's input on crowd control aspects of the proposed separation ordinance. He clarified that the study session would occur after the April 6th council meeting. /Ŷ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐĞ ƚŽ ŽŵŵŝƐƐŝŽŶĞƌ ZǇĚďĞƌŐ͛ƐƋƵĞƐƚŝŽŶ͕ ŐƵĞƐƚ ĞƌĞŬ&ƌĞĚĞŶďĞƌŐ ŝĚĞŶƚŝĨŝĞĚ ŚŝŵƐĞůĨ ĂƐ part of Progress in the Park, explained that this group formed in response to federal immigration enforcement actions in December and January to advocate for progressive policies preventing police department collaboration with Department of Homeland Security on immigration enforcement. Commissioner Rydberg raised concerns about the undefined term "secret police" used throughout the documents, noting it seemed derogatory and fear-inducing. Fredenberg acknowledged the feedback while explaining the term was chosen to denote the seriousness of federal actions in the city, comparing them to historical authoritarian governments. Commissioner Rydberg suggested better definition would help, as the broad term created additional layers of fear in the community. Chair Gamradt noted that the packet included two of three ALPR suggestions previously forwarded by the commission, but missed their concerns about audit process limitations, which he felt was important for council consideration. Crowd Control Policy Discussion The commission examined existing policies, particularly Policy 431 regarding First Amendment demonstrations and Policy 344.5 covering Public Order Team/crowd control situations. Lieutenant Weigel explained that incidents typically escalate from peaceful monitoring to Police advisory commission meeting April 1, 2026 7:00pm unlawful assembly determination when violence or property damage occurs, with incident commanders making those judgment calls. Sergeant Matt Blomsness provided examples of past crowd control situations in St. Louis Park, including a warehouse district party incident and a high school brawl that gained international attention. Commissioner Wolkenbrod noted similar situations at Hop kins High School requiring police response. The commission discussed when and where police involvement would be appropriate during ICE-related demonstrations. Chair Gamradt emphasized these would likely be First Amendment activities covered under Policy 431. The group considered involvement limitations including protecting the right to document activities with cameras and mobile devices. Commissioner Slais stressed the importance of police presence for public safety, expressing concern that complete absence would leave demonstrators vulnerable. She supported limited involvement focused on maintaining peace and protecting citizens from ICE agents rather than the reverse. The commission discussed the challenge of police officers potentially needing to intervene if federal agents violated citizens' rights, with Lieutenant Weigel noting the complexity of policing another agency while acknowledging duty to intervene in assault situations. Derek Fredenberg described alleged incidents on March 3rd involving suspected DHS agents congregating in the police department parking lot, with constitutional observers following suspected vehicles. Lieutenant Weigel confirmed a formal complaint was inves tigated regarding a pickup truck incident captured on camera, clarifying it was a single vehicle situation rather than multiple vehicles. Post-Incident Reporting Chair Gamradt proposed post-incident reporting requirements for crowd control situations, similar to Minneapolis's separation ordinance. Lieutenant Weigel explained that council already receives weekly reports on incidents, with more detailed reports provided for significant events including press releases and leadership updates. The commission discussed including basic information in reports such as city resources used, personnel time, and any injuries or use of force incidents, similar to documentation already done during Operation Metro Surge. Community Trust and Reporting Commissioner Rydberg suggested designating a community liaison to help build trust with immigrant communities who might not feel comfortable directly contacting police. The discussion covered the difference between personnel complaints (forwarded to DHS) and criminal complaints (investigated through normal law enforcement channels). Chair Gamradt noted that the city website currently only provides links for reporting to DHS, without clearly explaining these options or providing alternative city contacts. The commission discussed making these distinctions clearer on the website and potentially designating someone like Pat Coleman (Community Engagement Coordinator) as a non-police contact point. Police advisory commission meeting April 1, 2026 7:00pm Final Recommendations Motion: Chair Karl Gamradt moved to forward crowd control recommendations to the city council, including: 1) Involvement limitations referencing existing policies 431 and 344.5, with specific language protecting the right to document using cameras and mobile devices, noting community feedback about distance considerations; 2) Post-incident reporting requirements including incident details, city resources used, and injury/use of force information; and 3) References to Policy 413 regarding criminal investigat ions. Commissioner Dixon seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Motion: Chair Karl Gamradt moved to suggest the city make clearer on its website the difference between personnel complaints and criminal complaints where personnel complaint links already exist. Multiple commissioners indicated support. The motion passed with multiple ayes and no opposition. The commission briefly discussed but tabled further discussion of designating a community liaison, agreeing to revisit the topic at the next meeting along with planned community conversations. Discuss possible ICE-related community forum (if time allows) Due to time constraints, this item was deferred to the next meeting, with commissioners agreeing to make community conversations a priority agenda item. Discussion of workgroup items (if time allows) This item was not addressed due to time constraints. Other business No other business was discussed. Adjournment Motion: Chair Karl Gamradt moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned before 9:00 PM as intended by the Chair. Next regularly scheduled meeting: Wed. 05-06-26, 7pm (City Hall ʹ 3rd Fl. Westwood Rm., 5005 Minnetonka Bl., St. Louis Park, MN 55416