With a unanimous 12-0 vote, today the city council moved forward with efforts to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department in the wake of the fatal police arrest of George Floyd.
Minneapolis voters would decide whether or not to amend the charter to create a new Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention to replace the Minneapolis Police Department as a charter department.
The Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention would have responsibility for “public safety services prioritizing a holistic, public health-oriented approach,” according to the proposed charter amendment.
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The ordinance allows for the City to maintain “a division of law enforcement services composed of licensed peace officers” that would be subject to the supervision of the Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention.
Mayor Jacob Frey has already expressed his objection to completely defund the police and is instead in favor of “deep structural reform” and structural changes in the department, which he reiterated at a press conference following the council’s vote.
