Robert Kroll: Not Credible On Race and Policing This document has been prepared to begin a backgrounder for journalists on why we believe Lieutenant Robert, Kroll, current Head of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, and why we therefore demand that journalists who interview Kroll for their stories involving race and policing, must mention that he has persistently been accused not only of racism, but of actively embracing the organizations of White Supremacy, such as the Ku Klux Klan, and their slogans, such as “White Power.” To report Kroll’s words in these contexts is not responsible journalism, and it reinforces the racist violence that law enforcement is permitted to inflict on communities and individuals of color in this state.

Lieutenant Robert Kroll, Head of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, elected to that position on April 30, 2015. (Image from the Star Tribune story linked below).

http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis­police­union­elects­new­president/302049331/ This preliminary report intends to accomplish two goals:

(1) To break the silence in the media regarding the clear and persistent loyalties to organized and explicit White Supremacist and racist ideals and organizations by law enforcement officer and PD Union Head Lieutenant Robert Kroll. This should have been done by journalists and not left to us. We therefore do not pretend to encyclopedism; these links are intended for journalists to begin this work, and to let journalists know that we expect them to do this work.

(2) To place journalists who interview Kroll on race­related stories on notice: the community of the Twin Cities will no longer stand for the complicity of media with racist police. It is reasonable to

interview the Head of the Law Enforcement Union on race­related stories, especially, as is all to often, the use of violent officer force on citizens of color. It is not acceptable or reasonable, and will not longer be accepted, that in those contexts journalists fail to mention Kroll’s history of racism, or question why he is permitted to speak for law enforcement, or what that means for the Police Union.

Examples of Stories in which Kroll was permitted largely or entirely uncontextualized comment as head of the Police Union, on racial­justice issues. Kroll comments on officer caught on tape using force in racist context… http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/05/07/cop­caught­on­video­threatening­to­break­teenagers­leg­during­traffic­stop­is­placed­on­leave­but­there­may­be­more­to­the­story/ Kroll argues against Personal Police Liability insurance: http://kstp.com/article/stories/s3803910.shtml Kroll as MFP Pres opposed the repeal of spitting, lurking, other racist ordinances: http://www.crookstontimes.com/article/20150608/NEWS/150609642 Kroll thinks BLM is a destructive force, pulls out the Black On Black crime card: http://www.questionthepremise.org/new­blog/2015/8/12/where­is­the­outrage More on Kroll opposing the repeal of lurking ordinances: http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis­argues­the­repeal­of­spitting­and­lurking­laws/302858171/ Easily Internet­Searchable Documentation of Kroll’s Race Problem: The very first picture in the images.google.com search for ““Robert Kroll” Minneapolis” is this: http://s263.photobucket.com/user/dalton124124/media/Robert_Krull_kkk.jpg.html

Below is a 2007 court document claiming involvement by Kroll and Timothy Dolan in the systematic racist hiring, promotion, and firing of Black police officers, and specifically pointing out that Kroll wore a “White Power” badge on his motorcycle jacket (see “City Heat,” below), had a history of racist behavior, and implies he may have been involved in the distribution of a “KKK” flyer to Black officers. This report is primarily about Kroll’s “Crony” Timothy Dolan, who also deserves a very hard look. http://www.courthousenews.com/2007/12/04/MplsPD.pdf Pages (4­5, 15) 2007 City Pages article about that time that Kroll called Senator Keith Ellison a “Terrorist.”: http://www.citypages.com/news/shoot­from­the­lip­6688455 City Heat M.C. Same article above largely discusses “City Heat,” the Chicago­based Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club with a Twin Cities chapter that has been accused of harboring White Supremacists.

"I am disturbed that these Minneapolis police officers associate with other law­enforcement officers who very publicly and proudly display racist symbols of hate next to their police department badge and patch,'' said Minneapolis police Lt. Medaria Arradondo, a 20­year veteran.” http://www.twincities.com/ci_11422860

It appears that in 1995 he was sued in Federal courts for "beating, choking and kicking in the groin a 15­year­old boy of mixed race while spewing racial slurs."

Indeed, Kroll owns a lengthy record of brutishness. In 1995, he was accused of kicking, beating, chocking, and using racial slurs against a 15­year­old boy. But a federal grand jury cleared him of any wrongdoing.

In 1996, Kroll oversaw an Emergency Response Unit that performed a botched drug raid. In the ensuing confusion, one MPD officer was shot by his own colleagues. (See "Friendly Fire," CP 9/9/1997.) In September 2002, Kroll was involved in an incident that eventually led to a city payout of $60,000. (See "The Hit Parade Revisited," CP 7/20/2005.) And in December, the city attorney recommended Minneapolis pay $15,000 to settle a suit accusing Kroll of beating and kicking a suspect in an impound lot downtown in February 2004. "Bob Kroll's record in dealing with minorities speaks for itself," says former MPD cop Mike Quinn. http://www.twincities.com/ci_11422860

Kroll has been accused of physically threatening a city councilman, Ralph Remington. http://archive.southsidepride.com/2006/12/articles/policefederation.htm As defendant in a 2004 case where he and another officer attacked a man at an Art Fair; the main question is whether they were acting as police officers at the time. http://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/03/19/mpls­police­pretrial He is one of the defendants in this civil case about excessive force from 2007. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCOURTS­mnd­0_06­cv­00579/pdf/USCOURTS­mnd­0_06­cv­00579­0.pdf

So here is our demand to journalists covering Black Lives Matter, and any issue that combines local policing and issues of race:

if you report on Kroll without mentioning his racism problem,

you have become part of the problem.

If you don’t talk about Kroll, we’ll talk about you.

Endorsed By: Twin Cities General Defense Committee Local 14 | Black Lives Matter Saint Paul to add your endorsement as a group or individual, leave it as a comment or DM on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TC.GDC