Minneapolis Could Really Get Rid Of Its Police

VICE reports that, a year and a half after the murder of George Floyd by police officers, residents of the city will vote about whether to dismantle the police department and then replacement with a new agency, the Department of Public Safety.

Earlier this month, Minneapolis City Council added a question about replacing the city's police department to the ballot for this fall's November elections. Voters will be able to make the decision whether they'd be in favor of amending the city's charger and outright replacing the department.

Hypothetically, if residents do vote in favor of amending the charter, the Department of Public Safety would establish a system of trained medical and mental health professionals, as well as social workers to act as first responders alongside police and fire personnel.

This charter change would also put this new department under the control of the Minneapolis City Council as opposed to the police chief and mayor.

"I think what 2020 showed us is that our policing system is incredibly broken," Minnesota ACLU policy associate Munich Mohamed told VICE.

"Look at what the causes of violence in any community are, and it's stuff like housing, poverty, and things that the police just are not equipped to deal with," she continued. " Having a police-only public safety model doesn't make any sense, as it doesn't have the best intentions for the residents of this community."

Not everyone seems to be in favor of this change. Minneapolis's Mayor Jacob Frey actually vetoed two separate attempts for the ballot question to get to residents.

Also, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, House Representative Angie Craig and Governor Tim Walz all came out against it because they don't want to support a measure of this magnitude that wants to defund police.

Just last year, Minneapolis police murdered George Floyd. After police had been called to a gas station because Floyd was suspected of having used a counterfeit $20 bill, officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd's neck, while the latter was handcuffed face down in the street, for nine minutes and 29 seconds. Floyd died in the course of this happening.

Chauvin was later fired and charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, later being found guilty on all charges.

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