After the first charter amendment change to create a new model for
public safety for Minneapolis failed to reach the ballot, a new ordinance is on
the way from council members Phillipe Cunningham, Steve Fletcher and Jeremy
Schroeder.
The ordinance would create a new Public Safety department, “to provide public safety services, including law enforcement, and the removal of the
Police Department as a standalone Charter Department.”
Michelle Gross of Communities United Against Police Brutality said the proposal misses the mark at a time when the world is watching Minneapolis after George Floyd was killed.
"This charter amendment has the same flaws as the last one," she said. "It's pretty frustrating. We're the epicenter of police accountability in terms of the protests and all that happened here. Internationally, we're known for the problems we have, and yet, both our city and our state are dragging their feet and not willing to make changes."
The Minneapolis city charter regulates the minimum size of the police department based on population.
According to the council members, the proposal would “oversee and
lead a continuum of public safety efforts that prevent, intervene in, and
reduce crime and violence.”