Minneapolis, MN (13 AUG 2021) Read the full article Activists push to disband Minneapolis police in upcoming vote
Minneapolis voters, who will take to the ballot box in November, will decide whether, or not, to replace the existing Minneapolis Police Department.
The vote would be on whether to change the city charter and implement a department of public safety instead, which activists say would take on a public-health approach to policing — opting for social workers and violence interrupters over the police-only model that the city has now.
Advocates have said that many cases in which police are called can often be resolved by others. Detractors say the move will undermine public safety. In either case, police reform has been a fraught issue, especially in the wake of George Floyd’s death, with deep divisions forming over whether to “defund” the police or change the way departments operate.
The charter change would also put the city council in charge of the department, instead of the mayor, and remove requirements to hire police based on the city’s population size.
Activists say this effort is inspired by other policies and practices from across the country — and that they’ve taken into consideration what has worked and what has failed.
