Minneapolis City Council members move to dismantle its police department

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Following George Floyd’s death last month, Minneapolis City Council members unanimously vote to amend the city’s charter by removing the mandate for its police department.
• According to the draft amendment, the Minneapolis Police Department will be replaced by the Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention.
• According to reports, several City Council members who have called to defund the police unit have received death threats and have hired private security.

Town Talk Diner & Gastropub business owners Charles Stotts and Kacey White told Fox & Friends Weekend on Sunday that their historic restaurant that was burned down by violent protesters over George Floyd’s death was “not even close” to rebuilding.

“We did not own the building, we were tenants of the building so we don’t have a say of what gets rebuilt there and if the landlord that rebuilds wants another restaurant in there or not, but that area is, I would say, years out from being rebuilt,” White told the show on Sunday.

“They have not begun demolition or removal of anything yet in that area,” she added.

Floyd’s death triggered amendments on the city’s charter to extract the mandate for a police department. White’s remarks came two days after the members of Minneapolis City Council unanimously voted to proceed with the plan.

According to the proposed draft, the city’s police organization will be replaced by a Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention, “which will have responsibility for public safety services prioritizing a holistic, public health-oriented approach.”

It also includes that the director of such agency would have “non-law-enforcement experience in community safety services, including but not limited to public health and/or restorative justice approaches.” It also proposes to create a division of licensed peace officers, who would directly report to the director.

“I certainly understand if somebody was to tell me they’re going to send a different type of officer for one type of call versus another, I certainly understand that, but it’s hard for me to envision a world complete with abolishment of police officers when that’s all I’ve known since I’ve been a child,” Stotts said.

Stotts also said that “there is still a long way to go in the legislative process before they could possibly get to that state.” But he noted that “a unanimous vote speaks volumes.”

While the amendment got a 12-0 vote in the city council, it will need to undergo a thorough review by a policy committee and the city’s Charter Commission. If it passes, the amendment will be put on vote in the general election in November.

According to reports, several City Council members who advocated to defund the Minneapolis Police Department over Floyd’s death have received death threats and have hired private security. Their security reportedly gains $4,500 in a day, which comes from the city’s funds.

Based on the information gathered by Fox News, Minneapolis has spent over $63,000 on private security within the past three weeks.

Source: Fox News