Minneapolis ‘cop-out’

Pols unanimous in vote to abolish city police force

The Minneapolis City Council on Friday unanimously approved a measure to abolish the city’s police department — a radical move amid nationwide efforts by activists to defund local law enforcement agencies.

The 12-0 vote will not automatically dismantle the department, but is a first step in a long legislative process that will ultimately need popular support by city residents in a November election.

The proposal gained popularity among council members amid widespread protests and riots in the city following the killing of George Floyd by a city police officer last month.

Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck until Floyd lost consciousness and ultimately died, which was captured on video. The killing touched off nationwide protests against police brutality and sparked efforts to defund or abolish police forces in cities across the country.

Minneapolis’ vote to abolish the police force Friday will require amending the city’s charter. A draft amendment posted online suggests replacing the force with a “Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention.”

The suggested department would consist of peace officers and ensure public safety through

“a holistic, public health-oriented approach.”

The violence prevention force would also have a leader with “non-law-enforcement experience in community safety services, including but not limited to public health and/or restorative justice approaches,” according to the drafted amendment.

City council members hoped to capitalize on grassroots support for abolishing the force.

“It is time to make structural change,” council member Steve Fletcher said before the vote. “It is time to start from scratch and reinvent what public safety looks like.”

The proposal will have to pass through a committee, then be reviewed by the city’s Charter Commission, then approved again by the entire city council by Aug. 21.

The chairman of the Charter Commission, Barry Clegg, told The Associated Press that he’s skeptical of the process.

“As I understand it, they are saying, ‘We are going to have this new department. We don’t know what it’s going to look like yet. We won’t implement this for a year, we’ll figure it out,’ ” Clegg said.

“For myself anyway, I would prefer that we figured it out first, and then voted on it,” he added.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey does not support the proposal and has power to veto it.