How long will Minneapolis’ Civil Rights Department be able to run sans intelligence?

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Minneapolis Civil Rights director Velma Korbel and assistant director Michael “Kip” Browne could not come up with national models for their changes in the CRA. Nor could the duo cite peer review journals that helped them to establish what they call changes in the way Minneapolis investigates police challenges. Korbel and Browne have again moved chairs around on the Titanic without the help of the Coast Guard or Navy. Citizens of Minneapolis need to be very concerned when two city employees with no history of authoring changes, an have never operated a shoeshine shop put in charge to go dinking around with public policy that will intimidate, obstruct and deny victims and police a fair shake at “civilian reviews.”

Video: KSTP-TV coverage of CRA meeting

Fast Tube by Casper

by Donald W.R. Allen, II – Editor in Chief/The Independent Business News Network

“Korbel, Browne: Land of the Lost.” (photo: IBNN)

Minneapolis, MN (IBNN/Civil Rights, CRA/August 19, 2012)…Long time Civil Rights activist Mr. Ronald A. Edwards leaned over to me and said, “Someone downtown told me that she (Korbel) didn’t expect anyone to show up at this meeting.” Juneteenth executive director and CRA board member Mary Pargo was told the meeting was canceled.

On Thursday, August 16, 2012 at Shiloh International Ministries, the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights held what they called “a community meeting.” with seven White residents, Mr. Ronald A. Edwards and myself. Needless to say I asked Korbel, “How did you get the word out about this very important meeting? Korbel replied, “We have a WordPress blog on the city’s website and we posting the information there.” One thing Ms. Korbel doesn’t understand, the City of Minneapolis website is not a “news, entertainment or information” website where the mass majority of citizens go to look for news. Korbel’s lack of solid community engagement, paired along with Browne’s lack of knowledge of Web 2.0 Tool makes the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights look like and operate in comparison with an episode of the old 70’s sitcom, “Land of the Lost.”

The meeting was in a room in back of Shiloh while in the main sanctuary more then 500 churchgoers attended a very, very loud praise service. The very small group of community members could barely here Korbel’s PowerPoint presentation and it was very distracting. My first question for Korbel, “Why wasn’t the meeting planned on a night when there wasn’t a service going on?” Her reply was arrogant and nonchalant, “The pastor was nice enough to give us this space and we need to be respectful,” – her comments were directed to my Q & A of a bad situation going downhill fast. This shows the MDCR’s lack of planning, outreach and comfort with the conflict of interests of having a meeting at Shiloh who we allege is in the city and counties pockets for youth engagement grants and have no real interest in solving any of the cities challenges. What happened to the separation of church and state?

Also joining the meeting was my choice for Minneapolis mayor, Ward 5 city councilman Don Samuels who sat and listened attentively and Ward 10 city councilwoman Meg Tuthill, who in our opinion has spent too much time in the land of Oz and when as far as to wanting a shouting match with IBNN over the fact that politicians, like herself don’t know anything about outreach, especially after their elected – as seen by the poor attendance on Thursday’s meeting. Also we have to note the mayor’s public policy aide, Sherman Patterson was on hard to start the whispering campaign asking community residents to “ignore” IBNN and others who has sharp questioning for Velma Korbel and the process of redefining the CRA.

To show Korbel’s lack of knowledge and experience, Charles Turchick – a community activist concerned about Korbel’s “hijacking” of the CRA reminds us of the following:

I thought you might be interested in the following portion of the minutes of the June 2, 2010, CRA board meeting:

IV. Velma Korbel, Director, Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights

Bellfield introduced Velma Korbel, the newly appointed director of the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights.

Korbel stated that although yesterday was her first official day on the job, she has spent the last month getting to know Reid and the CRA staff, as well as the Civil Rights Department staff. She explained that she moved to Minnesota in 1989 and has been doing civil rights work since the 1980s. She understands from talking to people in the city and colleagues around the country that the Minneapolis CRA is a model of what civilian oversight is, so she is looking forward to learning from the board, as well as people from the community. She talks to Reid on a daily basis and plans to have the CRA office location combined with the rest of the Department of Civil Rights, so that communication can improve. She is aware of the issues the board is working on now and hopes to attend meetings periodically to see what the board is thinking. She looks forward to getting to know board members and urged them to feel free to contact her.

…No comments needed.

The City of Minneapolis, it’s mayor and city council must come to the realization that Korbel doesn’t have the “right stuff.” She’s nothing more that an administrative puppet. IBNN asks the Minneapolis City Council to request national and global peer review articles and models similar to what Korbel is proposing. If there are none, Korbel needs to be sent back and provide a real plan of community and law enforcement engagement.