A seasoned Minneapolis, Minnesota, police lieutenant who faced disciplinary action for sending racist emails was recently promoted in her work with the police department.
Aimee Linson was appointed to head the homicide unit last week, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. The 25-year vet was suspended in 2022 and placed on paid administrative leave amid an investigation into an email sent to her colleagues years before.
Linson, a sergeant at the time, forwarded an email with the subject line “Only in the Ghetto” to other employees in 2012, per a letter of reprimand from April obtained by the outlet.
The email had 16 photos, including some of Black people “portrayed in a negative light,” the document said, adding that most of them “had a label indicated they were taken from “ReallyGhetto.com.”
In the letter, police chief Brian O’Hara noted that throughout her tenure at the department, she had not been disciplined and that there was no evidence that she demonstrated bias or discrimination. He also added that Linson was remorseful for what happened.
She told Internal Affairs she didn’t remember sending it. However, it was determined that she violated the department’s policy, which says employees “shall not intentionally transmit, access or store material that is offensive.” Per the Star Tribune, it came to light during a large-scale probe into the police department following the death of George Floyd in May 2020. Advocates slammed Linson’s promotion.
“The city — and MPD specifically — is not in fact committed to the change that they claim to be embracing,” the Racial Justice Network’s Kimberly Milliard told the newspaper.
O’Hara argued that Linson is a good fit for the position.
“In addition to her ability to interact with individuals in the initial moments of grief after a homicide, she understands complex investigative processes and is well suited to provide leadership for those responsible for the crucial role of homicide investigations,” he wrote in a statement to the Star Tribune. “For me to do otherwise would be to underutilize her talents at a time when I am charged with leading the MPD with nearly 40% fewer sworn members.”
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