MINNEAPOLIS — Voters in Minneapolis have rejected a proposal to replace the city’s police department with a new Department of Public Safety — an idea born out of the May 2020 death of George Floyd.
the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association released a statement following the election results.
This should be a wake-up call for all politicians who simply want to abolish and defund police services. Police officers serve their communities and place public safety and justice for victims of crime at the forefront of their daily actions. Let’s work together for greater security for all, instead of pursuing reckless policies that only empower the criminals.
The initiative would have amended the city charter to remove the requirement for the city to have a police department with a minimum number of officers.
Proponents of the proposal said a complete overhaul of policing was needed to end police brutality.
Opponents said the proposal had no concrete plan for how to move forward and could make communities already affected by violence more vulnerable as crime rises.
