Minn. police panel: More time needed to remake force

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis commission said Wednesday it needs more time to review a City Council amendment to dismantle the Police Department in the wake of George Floyd’s death, ending the possibility of voters deciding the issue in November.

The Charter Commission had expressed concern that the process to change the city’s charter was being rushed after Floyd died in an encounter with a Minneapolis police officer. Some commissioners said they were more concerned with making the right changes than with making them fast.

The proposed amendment followed widespread criticism of law enforcement over Floyd’s death. It would replace the Police Department with a “Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention” that backers said would take a more “holistic” approach.

The proposal would have allowed for some armed police officers and called for a division of licensed peace officers who would have answered to the new department’s director.

The issue would likely have gone to voters if the commission had acted for or against the amendment because the City Council was required only to consult the commission and was not bound by their action. But the lack of a final decision means the proposal is in limbo without time to make the November ballot.

A similar move by the commission in 2018 effectively ended a proposed charter change that year that would have given the City Council more control over the department.

The process has unfolded during a violent summer in Minneapolis after Floyd’s death, with shootings dramatically higher than last year, and many residents have worried about a proposal to “abolish” police officers.