The Community Commission on Police Oversight voted Monday to establish a temporary work group to determine whether a permanent governance committee is needed to address internal operations and community engagement protocols.

The decision came during an extensive strategic planning discussion where commissioners debated how to better organize their oversight responsibilities. The proposed work group will evaluate governance needs and recommend whether to create a standing committee or handle governance issues through existing structures.

Commissioner Mara Schanfield, who chairs the Policy Review Committee, led the strategic planning presentation alongside Commissioner Lewis Smith from Community Engagement. Their committees had developed detailed action plans focusing on three main priorities: governance excellence, community engagement, and supporting police reforms.

The commission also approved allowing the Policy Review Committee to submit recommendations directly to the Minneapolis Police Department regarding the Early Intervention Systems policy, which has a July 31 deadline. This delegation was necessary due to the compressed timeline between committee meetings.

During public comment, Ward 12 resident Berlin Shmali raised concerns about police staffing levels in his area, citing MPD data showing only 19.8% of 911 calls from Ward 12 received responses from officers actually stationed in that ward. The commission voted to extend his speaking time after initial technical difficulties with the microphone system.