MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis City Council members who tried unsuccessfully to dismantle the police department in response to George Floyd's death are voting Wednesday on whether to shrink it, a move that could imperil the entire city budget because the mayor is threatening to use his veto to protect public safety amid soaring crime rates.
The plan, which supporters call “Safety for All,” is the latest version of the “defund the police” movement that Minneapolis and other cities have considered since Floyd’s May 25 death ignited mass demonstrations against police brutality and a nationwide reckoning with racism.
kAmt=6G6? @7 E96 `b 4@F?4:= >6>36CD 92G6 2=C625J 42DE 4@>>:EE66 G@E6D :? 72G@C @7 E96 =2C86DE A2CED @7 E96 A=2?[ D:8?2=:?8 E92E A2DD286 :D =:<6=J] xE H@F=5 4FE ?62C=J Sg >:==:@? 7C@> |2J@C y24@3 uC6J’D S`fh >:==:@? A@=:4:?8 3F586E 2?5 C65:C64E :E E@ >6?E2= 962=E9 E62>D[ G:@=6?46 AC6G6?E:@? AC@8C2>D 2?5 @E96C :?:E:2E:G6D]k^Am
kAm“x 2> 24E:G6=J 4@?D:56C:?8 2 G6E@ 5F6 E@ E96 >2DD:G6[ A6C>2?6?E 4FE E@ @77:46C 42A24:EJ[Q uC6J D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E |@?52J ?:89E] #65F4:?8 E96 2FE9@C:K65 D:K6 @7 E96 7@C46 3J `bg @77:46CD 367@C6 6?24E:?8 2=E6C?2E:G6D :D ”:CC6DA@?D:3=6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmr:E:6D 2C@F?5 E96 &]$][ :?4=F5:?8 {@D p?86=6D[ }6H *@C< r:EJ 2?5 !@CE=2?5[ ~C68@?[ 2C6 D9:7E:?8 7F?5D 7C@> A@=:46 56A2CE>6?ED E@ D@4:2= D6CG:46D AC@8C2>D :? 2? 677@CE E@ AC@G:56 ?6H D@=FE:@?D 7@C AC@3=6>D EC25:E:@?2==J 92?5=65 3J A@=:46] $F49 4FED 92G6 =65 D@>6 56A2CE>6?ED E@ =2J @77 @77:46CD[ 42?46= C64CF:E:?8 4=2DD6D @C C6EC62E 7C@> 9:C:?8 8@2=D]k^Am
kAmx? |:??62A@=:D[ G:@=6?E 4C:>6 C2E6D 92G6 DFC865 D:?46 E96 562E9 @7 u=@J5[ 2 q=24< >2? H9@ H2D 92?54F7765 2?5 A=625:?8 7@C 2:C 7@C D6G6C2= >:?FE6D H9:=6 s6C6< r92FG:?[ 2 H9:E6 7@C>6C @77:46C[ AC6DD65 9:D <?66 282:?DE 9:D ?64<] r92FG:? 2?5 E9C66 @E96CD H6C6 492C865 :? u=@J5’D 562E9 2?5 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ DE2?5 EC:2= :? |2C49]k^Am
kAm!@=:46 92G6 C64@C565 dba 8F?D9@E G:4E:>D E9:D J62C 2D @7 =2DE %9FCD52J[ >@C6 E92? 5@F3=6 E96 D2>6 A6C:@5 2 J62C 28@] r2C;24<:?8D 92G6 2=D@ DA:<65 E@ bfd D@ 72C E9:D J62C[ FA bb`T 7C@> E96 D2>6 A6C:@5 =2DE J62C] ':@=6?E 4C:>6D 92G6 E@AA65 d[`__[ 4@>A2C65 H:E9 ;FDE @G6C c[___ 7@C E96 D2>6 A6C:@5 :? a_`h]k^Am
kAm“%9:D DF>>6C 92AA6?65 3642FD6 v6@C86 u=@J5 H2D >FC56C65 3J E96 |:??62A@=:D !@=:46 s6A2CE>6?E 2?5 :E H2D?VE 2? 244:56?E[ :EVD 3642FD6 E96 DJDE6> @7 A@=:4:?8 H6 <?@H ?@H :D ?@E ;FDE C24:DE[ 3FE :E 5@6D?VE 4C62E6 D276EJ 7@C 2==[” D2:5 ~=F49: ~>6@82[ 2 4@7@F?56C @7 q=24< ':D:@?D[ H9:49 DFAA@CED “$276EJ 7@C p==” 2D 2 DE6A E@H2C5 >@C6 EC2?D7@C>2E:@?2= 492?86]k^Am
kAmsF6 E@ 2FDE6C:EJ 7@C465 3J E96 4@C@?2G:CFD A2?56>:4[ E96 >2J@C’D AC@A@D2= 2=C625J 32<6D :? 2 S`c >:==:@? 4FE E@ E96 56A2CE>6?E 4@>A2C65 H:E9 :ED @C:8:?2= a_a_ 3F586E[ >@DE=J E9C@F89 2EEC:E:@?] uC6J 2:>D E@ 9@=5 E96 ?F>36C @7 DH@C? @77:46CD 2C@F?5 ff_ E9C@F89 a_a` H:E9 9@A6D @7 6G6?EF2==J :?4C62D:?8 E96 7@C46 E@ ggg] “$276EJ 7@C p==” H@F=5 42A E96 ?F>36C 2E fd_ 3J a_aa] %96 56A2CE>6?E :D 2=C625J 5@H? 3J 23@FE `a_ — A2CE=J 5F6 E@ @77:46CD 4=2:>:?8 A@DE\EC2F>2E:4 DEC6DD 5:D@C56C 7C@> 2 DF>>6C @7 F?C6DE — H:E9 >@C6 AC6A2C:?8 E@ =62G6 2>:5 C6E:C6>6?ED 2?5 A@@C >@C2=6]k^Am
kAm!2DD:@?D C2? 9@E @? 3@E9 D:56D 2D >@C6 E92? c__ 4:E:K6?D D:8?65 FA E@ DA62< 5FC:?8 2 >2C2E9@? 962C:?8 =2DE H66< E92E C2? :?E@ E96 62C=J 9@FCD %9FCD52J[ H:E9 >2?J 6IAC6DD:?8 2=2C> E92E E96 4@F?4:= H2D 6G6? 4@?E6>A=2E:?8 4FED]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< H6 ?665 E@ >2<6 3@=5 564:D:@?D @? 2 A2E9 7@CH2C5[” D2:5 r@F?4:= |6>36C $E6G6 u=6E496C[ 2 4@2FE9@C @7 E96 AC@A@D2=] (9:=6 24<?@H=658:?8 E92E :E H@F=5 >62? 76H6C @77:46CD[ 96 5676?565 E96 A=2? 3J D2J:?8 :E H@F=5 C65F46 E96 56A2CE>6?E’D H@C<=@25 3J D9:7E:?8 h`` 42==D 2H2J 7C@> 2C>65 @77:46CD E@ @E96C DA64:2=:DED DF49 2D >6?E2= 962=E9 AC@76DD:@?2=D]k^Am
kAm“r@>3:?65 E9@D6 :?G6DE>6?ED 255 FA E@ 2 D276C 4:EJ 7@C 6G6CJ3@5J 2?5 2? 2AAC@249 E92E 4C62E6D 2 >@C6 DFDE2:?23=6 AF3=:4 D276EJ DJDE6> 7@C @FC 4:EJ[” u=6E496C D2:5 :? 2? :?E6CG:6H]k^Am
kAm~? E96 @E96C D:56 2C6 E9@D6 =:<6 uC6J 2?5 !@=:46 r9:67 |652C:2 pCC25@?5@ H9@ D2J E96C6’D ?@ ?665 7@C 2? 6:E96C\@C 564:D:@? — E92E :E’D A@DD:3=6 E@ C67@C> A@=:4:?8 H:E9@FE 4FEE:?8 @77:46CD] %96 >2J@C 2?5 `a @7 E96 `b 4@F?4:= >6>36CD 2C6 s6>@4C2EDj @?6 4@F?4:= >6>36C :D 7C@> E96 vC66? !2CEJ]k^Am
kAmx7 E96 4@F?4:= 2AAC@G6D E96 A=2? (65?6D52J ?:89E[ uC6J H@F=5 92G6 7:G6 52JD E@ G6E@ :7 96 49@@D6D] %96 4@F?4:= 4@F=5 @G6CC:56 9:> H:E9 2 EH@\E9:C5D >2;@C:EJ[ @C ?:?6 4@F?4:= >6>36CD]k^Am
kAmp AC@A@D2= @G6C E96 DF>>6C E@ 5:D>2?E=6 E96 56A2CE>6?E 2?5 C6A=246 :E H:E9 2 “s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@>>F?:EJ $276EJ 2?5 ':@=6?46 !C6G6?E:@?” :?:E:2==J 925 DFAA@CE 7C@> 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 4@F?4:= 3FE 72=E6C65 H96? 2 D6A2C2E6 4:EJ 4@>>:DD:@? G@E65 282:?DE AFEE:?8 :E @? E96 }@G6>36C 32==@E] %96 4:EJ H2D A2J:?8 Sc[d__ 2 52J 2E @?6 A@:?E 7@C AC:G2E6 D64FC:EJ 7@C E9C66 4@F?4:= >6>36CD H9@ C6A@CE65 86EE:?8 E9C62ED 27E6C DFAA@CE:?8 567F?5:?8]k^Am
kAmq:== #@5C:8F6K @7 |:??62A@=:D[ A2CE @7 2 4@>>F?:EJ 8C@FA 42==65 $276EJ }@H |:??62A@=:D E92E 7@C>65 C646?E=J :? C6DA@?D6 E@ C:D:?8 4C:>6[ D2:5 9:D 8C@FA DFAA@CED A@=:46 C67@C> 3J 7F?5:?8 >2?J @7 E96 AC@8C2>D E96 4@F?4:= H2?ED E@ 7F?5i 6IA2?5:?8 G:@=6?46 AC6G6?E:@? AC@8C2>D[ AC@8C2>D 2:>65 2E :?E6CG6?:?8 D276=J H:E9 A6@A=6 DF776C:?8 >6?E2= 962=E9 :DDF6D 2?5 7:?5:?8 H2JD E@ C6DA@?5 E@ D@>6 h`` :?4:56?ED H:E9@FE A@=:46 @77:46CD]k^Am
kAmqFE 96 D2:5 4FEE:?8 A@=:46 @77:46CD :D 2 325 :562 2?5 H2D D92CA=J 4C:E:42= @7 4@F?4:= >6>36CD H9@ 96 D2:5 “42?’E 86E 36J@?5” E96:C G@H E9:D DF>>6C E@ 23@=:D9 @C 567F?5 A@=:46]k^Am
kAm“%96J 2C6 96==\36?E @? E96:C 286?52[” #@5C:8F6K D2:5] “tG6CJE9:?8 E96J 5@ 92D E92E E2DE6 @? :E] ]]] %96J’C6 DE:== >2<:?8 E9:D FA 2D E96J 8@ 2=@?8] (6’G6 8@E 2 r:EJ r@F?4:= 36:?8 CF? 3J 2 3F?49 @7 :?6IA6C:6?465 24E:G:DED H9@ 92G6 ?6G6C CF? 2?JE9:?8 :? E96:C =:G6D]”k^Am
Post a comment as
Report
Watch this discussion.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.