MINNEAPOLIS (Audacy) — Question two on the Minneapolis ballot that asks whether or not the city charter should be changed to remove the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a Department of Public Safety has been struck down by voters, 17 months after the killing of George Floyd by a police officer from that city.
Yes 4 Minneapolis, a coalition campaign to remove the MPD, has been campaigning for the ballot question following it being pulled from the ballot multiple times.
The organization had the backing of Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and the Minneapolis City Council.
“Senior staff at the City, who are largely staff of color, have been working for years to analyze our existing public safety system and make detailed, serious recommendations informed by data and community engagement,” Bender said in the statement.
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who attempted to block the question, was a strong proponent against the question urging voters to vote no. Along with Frey, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, Sen. Tina Smith, and Gov. Tim Walz all supported voting no on the question.
Those opposed to the ballot question say there is no plan behind it, saying it would create a dangerous situation inside the city.
“To vote on a measure of reimagining public safety without a solid plan and an implementation or direction of work, this is too critical of a time to wish and hope for that help that we need so desperately right now,” Arradondo said in his press conference. “And again, I was not expecting some sort of robust, detailed word-for-word plan. But at this point, quite frankly, I would take a drawing on a napkin.”
State Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller released a comment following the results of the election.
"Defunding the police was never a good idea, and I'm happy the residents of Minneapolis have made it clear they are not on board with the anti-police rhetoric," Miller said in a statement.
"A professional, trained, and properly staffed police force is crucial in keeping communities safe. Law enforcement is an increasingly challenging profession, and I am grateful for the men and women who serve and protect our communities."
