More than 100 speakers in a three hour public hearing Thursday voiced their opinion about a proposal to remove the Minneapolis Police Department, a contentious and emotional discussion being watched nationally.
Authored by councilmembers Phillippe Cunningham, Steve Fletcher and Jeremy Schroeder, it’s the second attempt to create a new model of public safety following the death of George Floyd. It would remove MPD to create a new, broad Public Safety Department including law enforcement officers, but adding more trained professionals to more holistically respond to calls, such as mental health crises, nonviolent crimes, or crimes related to poverty. The proposal would be on the November ballot for Minneapolis voters to decide.
Listen to reaction from callers below:
The Public Safety Committee will take up the charter amendment proposal again at its meeting March 4. Mayor Jacob Frey on the Paul and Jordana Show Thursday reiterated his opposition, adding he supports the addition of mental health responders or social workers.
“We shouldn’t shy away from a ‘both and’ approach because a ‘both and’ approach is the right recipe,” he said.