Mpls city council votes to move forward with plan for significant law enforcement changes

The Minneapolis City Council this morning unanimously voted to move forward with its new vision for law enforcement in the city following George Floyd’s killing. Earlier this month, a majority of council members pushed for dismantling the entire police department. The current charter states there has to be a police department. The proposed amendment replaces that with “a department of community safety and violence prevention” that will take “a holistic, public-health-oriented approach.” The amendment also provides for a law enforcement division with licensed officers for emergency situations. Once approved by a charter commission, the amendment would be up for a public vote in November. The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association responded to the vote with a statement reading in part “the MPPOA is very concerned to see Minnesota’s largest city moving forward with its haphazard effort to dismantle the police department.”