Minneapolis Police Reform: City Council Takes First Steps

MINNEAPOLIS — Following the death of George Floyd, the Minneapolis City Council on Friday officially committed via resolution to begin a year-long process of community engagement, research and structural change with the goal of creating a new model for city safety.

There's little known of what the new public safety model might look like, but council members promise it will be "transformative."

Earlier this month, a majority of the City Council pledged to end the Minneapolis Police Department.

What that means exactly is up to interpretation, but Ward 4 Council member Phillipe Cunningham says he wants to work with the chief of Minneapolis police in building the new model:

Public safety working group created

The new "Future of Community Safety" working group created Friday is set to do much of the early legwork.

The group includes staff from the Office of Violence Prevention, the Department of Civil Rights, and the City Coordinator’s Office. Among its responsibilities will be to provide regular reports to the City Council on ways to create a "holistic" and "public health" approach to community safety.

"The City Council will engage with every willing community member in Minneapolis, centering the voices of Black people, American Indian people, people of color, immigrants, victims of harm, and other stakeholders who have been historically marginalized or under-served by our present system. Together, we will identify what safety looks like for everyone," the resolution passed Friday reads.

Key dates to watch

The City Council’s Budget Committee will hold two public hearings in July on proposed revisions to the Minneapolis' 2020 budget. Though not directly related to police reform, the budget changes will indicate the priorities of city officials going forward.

The public can engage and share their voices in the budget process during two online public hearings:

• 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, July 14
• 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 22

Watch or participate in the online meetings here.

On July 24, the Future of Community Safety working group must report back to the City Council with a set of preliminary recommendations on groups and experts the city should partner with as the city builds a new model for community safety.

Other reform efforts

The City Council isn't alone in trying to improve public safety in Minneapolis.

Last week, the Hennepin County Court gave the OK to the structural changes state officials are requiring of the Minneapolis Police Department. The changes, which include a ban on chokeholds, are part of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights' ongoing civil rights investigation into the department, which began after Floyd's death.

Additionally, Gov. Tim Walz hopes to pass statewide police reform measures during the ongoing special legislative session. Walz released eight different reforms his office is pushing during the special session that began Friday.