The Minneapolis City Council is reportedly moving to disband the city’s police department, a majority of members announced, Sunday.
Al Bello / Getty Images
“We’re here because we hear you. We are here today because George Floyd was killed by the Minneapolis Police. We are here because here in Minneapolis and in cities across the United States it is clear that our existing system of policing and public safety is not keeping our communities safe,” Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender said Sunday. “Our efforts at incremental reform have failed. Period.”
Council Member Jeremiah Ellison announced his commitment earlier this week on Twitter: “We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. And when we’re done, we’re not simply gonna glue it back together. We are going to dramatically rethink how we approach public safety and emergency response.
“It’s really past due,” he added.
Council Member Steve Fletcher penned an essay for TIME, in which he stated his call to disband the police.
“Now is the time for us to put all of these ideas into practice, and we know that community members have a lot more. The whole world is watching. We can declare policing as we know it a thing of the past, and create a compassionate, non-violent future,” he wrote.
[Via]