A Minneapolis city proposal announced this week would scrap the police department and replace it with “a comprehensive public safety approach,” although it would retain many of the officers.
Three City Council members are calling for the end of their law enforcement division to create a Department of Public Safety, which is being dubbed an initiative “beyond law enforcement.” The plan, a charter amendment that would require approval from voters, would do away with a minimum requirement of officers based on population size and leave the number of uniformed policemen up to local leaders.
“Minneapolis residents are imagining a comprehensive public safety approach that is more effective and more reflective of our values, and they are calling on the city to act,” council member Steve Fletcher said of the plan that he spearheaded in concert with members Jeremy Schroeder and Phillipe Cunningham. “This charter amendment creates a structure that supports that vision and allows our city to innovate.”
The proposal marks the second time the Minneapolis leaders have tried to abolish the police force. The first attempt came following George Floyd’s death after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, sparking nationwide protests on racial inequality last summer. The first proposal would have dubbed the force the Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention and was described as a “holistic, public health-oriented approach.”
The Minneapolis Charter Commission stonewalled the initial try in early August amid nationwide racial justice protests and riots, ending hopes of it appearing on the November ballot.
City Mayor Jacob Frey, who indicated opposition to “abolishing the entire police department” in June, said the more recent approach may have a detrimental effect on police accountability. The proposal would also remove Frey’s sole command over the force that’s afforded to him through the city charter.
“I believe in a comprehensive approach. That’s what we’re hearing from people,” Frey said. “We are not hearing people want to dilute accountability by having the head of public safety report to 14 people.”
The amendment may be on the ballot as early as November.
