Soon after Kroll was elected president of the policy union, observers pointed to his lengthy disciplinary record, which includes civil complaints and lawsuits for wrongful arrest and excessive force. That record, many said, embodied the brash, hard-charging mentality of a rapidly fading era of policing.
In 2015, police personnel records revealed that Kroll had 19 internal-affairs complaints during his 26 years on the force-- in addition to another reprimand, a suspension for using excessive force and involvement in several lawsuits against the city. Mike Spangenberg, a local blogger who writes about social and racial issues, said Kroll’s hard-nosed approach to policing is a vestige of a bygone era. “He represents a really culturally incompetent and racially hostile style of policing,” Spangenberg said.
Kroll was reported to be a member of City Heat, a motorcycle club for police officers, some of whose members (according to the Anti-Defamation League) have openly displayed white supremacist symbols. Kroll has also made public assertions about black people and black organizations that can be found on openly racist websites like Storm Front. Kroll has also been know to call Black Lives Matter a terrorist organization
Kroll was named in a 2007 racial discrimination lawsuit against the department that was brought by five black officers — including current deputy chief Medaria Arradondo — after Kroll reportedly called U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison a terrorist and made disparaging comments about a gay aide to former Mayor R.T. Rybak in front of several other high-ranking commanders. Kroll was alleged to have worn a 'white power' patch on his motorcycle jacket and discriminated against officers of color. The city eventually settled the case. In another lawsuit, Kroll was accused of using excessive force against an elderly couple during a “no knock” raid at their north Minneapolis home. The case was thrown out by a federal judge.
Kroll recently generated a fresh wave of controversy when he spoke at a Trump rally last year. Wearing a “Cops for Trump” shirt as he took the stage, Kroll slammed former President Obama's “handcuffing and oppression of police” while praising Donald Trump. Retired Hennepin County District Judge Pamela Alexander called Kroll’s appearance at the Trump rally a “particularly egregious move.” “It doesn’t help in terms of being comfortable calling upon the Minneapolis police for help if you feel they’re already hostile toward the community that you come from,” she said. Like Trump, Kroll is no stranger to inflammatory statements.
In 2016, four Minneapolis police officers walked off the job and defaulted on their contractual obligation to provide guard services at a Minnesota Lynx game when several players wore pre-game jerseys that said "Black Lives Matter." Kroll said in an interview that he commended the officers for leaving their post and predicted other officers would refuse to work games, adding that only four officers worked the game because the Lynx are a “pathetic draw.” Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges characterized Kroll's words as "jackass remarks."
Several months ago, Kroll responded in an email to a random comment left on his Facebook page. In that email, Kroll wrote:
"I'm a 21 year Army reservist that defeated socialists in the cold war. We defeated the socialism that you love so much and want to bring to the U.S. because you are too pathetic to make a good living on your own. . . .If you hate me so much, why don't you stop by and beat the shit out of me? 1811 University Ave. NE. My bet is it won't happen, because you are a cowardly cunt."So Kroll's reaction to criticism is to threaten violence and sling around derogatory names. What a role model (not to mention a poor student of history)!
Kroll's record as Chief of the police union is now being more closely tied to George Floyd’s killing at the hands of a white police officer. The controversial restraint tactic that led to Floyd suffocation was championed by Kroll in defiance with the Minnesota Mayor's direct orders. The choking maneuver is part of the “warrior-style” police training that for years had been popular with Bob Kroll. For the unfamiliar, the training, as reported in 2017, generally espouses a “killology” vision of law enforcement that’s frequently likened to “fear porn.” Experts say the training, which has been linked to high profile police-related killings around the country, including Philando Castille’s 2016 shooting death (also in Minnesota), often runs the risk of the use of unnecessary, and sometimes, fatal force.
Following the decision by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to ban all forms of ‘Warrior’ training for Minneapolis officers both on duty and during their personal time, Kroll flouted the Mayor's authority over rank-and-file police officers by sanctioning private funding of the newly-banned training. The offer for free training only continues for the remainder of Mayor Frey’s term-- which calls into question whether the motivation was actually political in nature.
In eliminating the controversial training, Mayor Frey has said that Minneapolis would become the first department in the country to eliminate “fear-based” training. Training rooted in
fear, he said, “violate the values at the very heart of community
policing.” His comments come as law enforcement tactics are under
scrutiny following a series of high-profile deaths of civilians at the
hands of police around the country. Many policing agencies (including Minneapolis) are moving toward “guardian”-oriented tactics,
which focus on de-escalating tense situations and use of deadly force as
a last resort.
Frey told reporters, “I care deeply about
our officer safety, and that safety can be ensured through existing
training, sanctioned by our police department and approved by our
chief,” Frey said in phone interview. “Everything from procedural
justice to use of force, I have great faith in the training that is
sanctioned by Chief Arradondo.”
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