How council members voted on each piece of Minneapolis' new public safety plan

The council pushed to cut $8 million more from the Police Department than the mayor had initially suggested.

December 12, 2020 at 3:51PM
Minneapolis City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins served as a swing vote on Wednesday as the council reversed a Monday decision to shrink the authorized sworn force size from 888 to 750. (Anthony Souffle, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Minneapolis City Council members approved a budget this week that makes their largest changes yet to policing and public safety since George Floyd's death. Before they took a final vote, the council members voted individually on the six largest pieces of the package. On Monday, they discussed each item individually, examining the original proposals, considering alternatives and, if those failed, taking another vote on the original proposal. Here's a snapshot of how those votes went.

Mental Health Services proposal

Cuts about $5.7 million from the Police Department to expand violence prevention and mental health programs. Moves responsibility for theft and property damage reports to other departments and adds civilians to the Office of Police Conduct Review. The money had been earmarked for police overtime, the mounted patrol unit and a new system to flag troubling behavior among officers.

Alternate proposed

Creates a roughly $4 million fund to support many of the same efforts, as pilot programs. Most of that money comes from savings they would get by extending a hiring freeze. Fails 6-7

Second alternate proposed

Leaves most of the proposal intact but funds the early warning system for officers, instead of adding people to the Office of Police Conduct Review. Fails 6-7

Initial proposal passes 11-2

In favor: Kevin Reich, Cam Gordon, Phillipe Cunningham, Jeremiah Ellison, Andrea Jenkins, Alondra Cano, Lisa Bender, Jeremy Schroeder, Andrew Johnson, Steve Fletcher, Jamal Osman

Against: Lisa Goodman, Linea Palmisano

Community navigators proposal

Moves community navigators and a manager from the Police Department to the Office of Violence Prevention, transferring nearly $600,000. Community navigators connect crime victims with services.

Alternate proposed

Leaves community navigators in the Police Department but seeks to boost accountability for the program. Fails 5-8

Initial proposal passes 10-3

In favor: Gordon, Cunningham, Ellison, Osman, Goodman, Jenkins, Bender, Schroeder, Johnson, Fletcher

Against: Reich, Cano, Palmisano

Crime prevention proposal

Moves all 17 Crime Prevention Specialists from the Police Department to the Neighborhood & Community Relations Department, transferring nearly $1.5 million. These workers send out crime alerts and coordinate with block clubs.

Alternate proposed

Moves 11 Crime Prevention Specialists from the Police Department to the Neighborhood & Community Relations Department, transferring about $1.1 million. Also moves the police spokesperson back into the Police Department, reversing a move council made earlier this year. Fails 3-10

Initial proposal passes 13-0

Reserve fund proposal

Creates a Public Safety Staffing Reserve fund that will hold money the Police Department can access, if the council agrees to release it in separate votes next year. They moved $6.4 million for two out of three recruit classes into the fund.

Alternate proposed

Creates the same reserve fund, but releases the money after the Police Department submits a public, quarterly report. The fund would hold $11.4 million, to offset cuts to overtime and fund two recruit classes. Fails 6-7

Initial proposal passes 9-3-1

In favor: Reich, Gordon, Cunningham, Ellison, Osman, Jenkins, Bender, Schroeder, Fletcher

Against: Goodman, Cano, Palmisano

Abstain: Johnson

Police force size proposal

Reduces the authorized sworn force size from 888 to 750, starting in 2022. This passed 7-6 on Monday, but the council reversed that decision 7-6 on Wednesday, with Jenkins serving as the swing vote.

Initial proposal passes 7-6, then reversed 7-6

In favor: Gordon, Cunningham, Ellison, Bender, Schroeder, Fletcher

Against: Reich, Osman, Goodman, Cano, Johnson, Palmisano

Swing: Jenkins

Offsetting cuts proposal

Moves $5 million of excess money in the general fund to the new Public Safety Staffing Reserve to offset cuts to police overtime, if council agrees to release the money.

Initial proposal passes 10-3

In favor: Reich, Gordon, Cunningham, Osman, Goodman, Jenkins, Cano, Schroeder, Johnson, Palmisano

Against: Ellison, Bender, Fletcher

about the writer

about the writer

Liz Navratil

Reporter

Liz Navratil covers communities in the western Twin Cities metro area. She previously covered Minneapolis City Hall as leaders responded to the coronavirus pandemic and George Floyd’s murder.

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