A Minneapolis proposal to disband the city’s police department will not appear on ballots this November.
The Minneapolis Charter Commission, which includes volunteers responsible for reviewing the City Council’s June decision to dismantle the department, determined Wednesday that it needs more time to make a definitive recommendation. The commission voted 10-5 to take 90 more days to study the measure, meaning there will not be enough time for the measure to make the cut as a ballot initiative this year.
If approved, the proposed change would get rid of the city’s police department in favor of a “Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention.” However, some critics have said the plan was too vague to move forward.
“The council says, ‘Trust us. We’ll figure it out after this is approved. Trust us.’ Well, I don’t, and we shouldn’t,” said Barry Clegg, chairman of the Charter Commission. “Charter change is too important.”
The City Council voted unanimously in favor of the change following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis police custody after an officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. His death has sparked protests around the country about systemic racism in policing.
