Minneapolis proposal to replace the police department gets panel's OK

A proposal that asks voters to replace the Minneapolis Police Department in the wake of George Floyd's death will head to the City Council for consideration next week.

A City Council committee voted 5-1 Thursday to advance the proposal following a discussion about whether it would fulfill promises to increase accountability for police and gather community input as they seek to build a new public safety system.

Council Member Linea Palmisano, the lone dissenter on the council's Public Health & Safety Committee, said she feared the latest proposal was too similar to ones that had failed in the past and would only further blur lines of accountability for police.

"Unfortunately, this takes a lot of energy away from all the things we could be working on right now with the community," Palmisano said. "It feels a bit like a false narrative in what we're selling about what this is and what this isn't."

Her remarks drew a sharp rebuke from Council Member Phillipe Cunningham, who wrote the latest proposal, along with Council Members Steve Fletcher and Jeremy Schroeder.

"There is no false narrative here," Cunningham said, adding that city leaders have made efforts in the past year to expand funding for violence prevention and mental health programs.

The proposal — the second written by council members following Floyd's death — would require approval from voters in the November election.

The latest version, revised after a review by the City Attorney's Office, calls for the city to eliminate its police department and create a new Department of Public Safety.

That department would include a law enforcement services division with police, though Minneapolis would no longer be required to employ a minimum number based on the city's population.

It could also include additional divisions, though they are not specified in the charter amendment. Fletcher said they would need to pass additional ordinances to flesh out those details and would expect to talk to residents to get their input.

"I would predict that this department on Day One is going to look an awful lot like a police department and the Office of Violence Prevention, both as they currently exist, but reporting to the new commissioner," Fletcher said, adding that additional divisions could be added in the future.

As they drafted the policy, Fletcher said they wanted to respond to urgent demands for change and leave flexibility for people to provide their input.

The department would be led by a commissioner who would oversee the chief of the law enforcement services division. Critics have said they worry that provision would blur accountability for the police by making them report to more elected officials.

The mayor currently has "complete power" over police operations. Others say they believe it could improve accountability by giving council members more sway over departmental policies.

"That's a real question," Palmisano said. "Are we talking about accountability of officers or the accountability of elected officials here?"

Council Member Cam Gordon said he worries the existing structure doesn't provide enough transparency about crucial police policies or opportunities for residents to weigh in on them.

"Every day I go around and people are saying, 'Why can't you manage this department?' " Gordon said. "... I would welcome the day when council members could say, 'Yes, I carefully reviewed the use-of-force policy.' "

Palmisano said she agreed with his concerns but feared "this is about adding bureaucracy."

Gordon, Fletcher, Cunningham and fellow Council Members Alondra Cano and Jeremiah Ellison voted in favor of sending it to the full council March 12.

If the measure passes the full council, it will head to the court-appointed Charter Commission, which is tasked with reviewing changes to the city's constitution. It would then head to the mayor and council for final approval before it could appear on the ballot.

Unlike last year, the commission cannot use its powers of delay to prevent this question from appearing on the ballot.

Liz Navratil • 612-673-4994