Voters in Minneapolis shot down an attempt to replace the city’s police department with a Department of Public Safety, setting back the police reform movement across the country.
Election results showed that 57% voted against and 43% in favor of City Question 2, with 92% of precincts reporting. Question 2 asked if an amendment to the city charter should “remove the Police Department and replace it with a Department of Public Safety that employs a comprehensive public health approach … which will not be subject to exclusive mayoral power.”
MINNEAPOLIS MAY BE PREPARING TO ABOLISH ITS POLICE: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT CITY QUESTION TWO
Officials such as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Gov. Tim Walz, and Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, all Democrats, were opposed to the measure.
Frey is leading in a ranked-choice ballot for a second term. He is facing 16 competitors from across the political spectrum.
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Since coming under fire for the killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a white officer in May 2020, Minneapolis has seen a large uptick in violent crime. The city has had 79 homicides so far this year, up from 48 total during 2019.
There was little polling on the question before election night, though one poll from September showed that 49% of voters supported the amendment, 41% opposed it, and 10% were undecided.
