More than 100 speakers on Wednesday expressed their views about a proposal that could lead to the end of the Minneapolis Police Department, most of them supporting putting the question before voters in November.
A smaller group speaking at the virtual public hearing before the Minneapolis Charter Commission opposed such a move.
Up for consideration now is a plan that would change the city charter, essentially its constitution, to end the requirement for Minneapolis to maintain a police department. Instead, the city would create a community safety department that could include officers but wouldn't be required to do so.
Many of the people who spoke in favor of the plan said they believe the city charter presents an impenetrable obstacle to reform and that residents of color — who are disproportionately subjected to officers' force — can't wait for change.
"The window of opportunity is small, and I need for you to do your jobs," said Ebony Chambers, with the Barbershops & Black Church Cooperative of ISAIAH, a coalition of religious leaders.
Trevor Cochlin, who lives in the Powderhorn area, urged the commissioners to allow the proposal to head to the November ballot "so that we can all have a voice in creating a future."
"I want to remind this body that you are not the arbiters of that conversation and that process and it would be a disservice to our democracy if this body would stand in the way of that," Cochlin said.
Cynthia Gomez, who teaches in north Minneapolis, talked about seeing "the MPD's contempt for our communities taken out on the bodies of my students" and in the killing of George Floyd and the following days.