MINNEAPOLIS EYES POLICE CUTS AFTER FLOYD’S DEATH
More than 300 sign up to speak at council meeting
More than 300 Minneapolis residents signed up to speak Wednesday night on a plan to shrink the city’s Police Department, with some pleading for City Council members to deliver the reforms they promised after George Floyd’s death and others warning it would be irresponsible to cut officers amid soaring crime rates.
The council was expected to vote on the plan late Wednesday after several hours of public comment, and 11 of its 13 members have already cast committee votes in favor of key components of it.
Supporters call the plan “Safety for All,” the latest version of the “defund the police” movement that Minneapolis and other cities have considered since Floyd’s May 25 death ignited mass demonstrations against police brutality and a nationwide reck
oning with racism.
The plan would cut nearly $8 million from Mayor Jacob Frey’s $179 million policing budget and redirect it to mental health teams, violence prevention programs and other initiatives. Frey has threatened to veto the plan, which he says would irresponsibly reduce the author
ized size of the force by 138 officers before enacting alternatives.
The council was prepared to allow speeches of up to a minute for any of the 323 people who signed up, though not all spoke when their names were called. The council had not voted by 11 p.m. Wednesday night.
Some in favor of the plan called police officers cowards, gang members, white supremacists or terrorists. They spoke about violence that African Americans and other minorities have experienced at the hands of police.
Those against the plan said the City Council was acting irresponsibly and has
bungled its attempts to bring change. They cited increasing violence, saying they don’t feel safe.
“The place I grew up this summer burned,” said Will Roberts, who grew up in the Longfellow neighborhood. “And it burned because of police misconduct.” He called the police department a “violent, occupying source,” saying, “it’s incumbent upon us as residents of this city to change that.”
Loraine Teel, of south Minneapolis, said she supports the mayor’s position, telling council members: “You cannot achieve reform without a plan that includes the cooperation of those being reformed You have failed miserably.”
Cities around the U.S., including Los Angeles, New York City and Portland, Ore., are shifting funds from police departments to social services programs in an effort to provide new solutions for problems traditionally handled by police. Such cuts have led some departments to lay off officers, cancel recruiting classes or retreat from hiring goals.
If approved, Frey would have five days to veto the plan if he chooses. The council could override him with a two-thirds majority. The proposal to cap the number of officers passed with just 7 of 13 votes in committee Monday.