MINNEAPOLIS- In response to the outcry of the public after the death of George Floyd in police custody, the city council of Minneapolis has unanimously agreed to pass on the resolution to have a public safety system led by the community to replace the police department, Friday.
The decision to pass on the resolution followed a few days after the council's veto-poof majority voted to dissolve the police department, as protests erupted in the city and the whole United States. It also followed the decision of the city council of New York City to cut the budget of NYPD by $1 Billion.
Police Force is Past Reform
According to Daily Mail, the council has voted in favor of having a community-led safety system because they felt that the police force of the city is already way part of any reform. In the resolution, it was stated that Floyd's death in the hands of the police showed that there is no amount of reform that can ever prevent the abuse of power, brutality, and violence that the many members of the Police Department have practiced against the community, especially to people of color.
Moreover, it was stated that Floyd was only one of the long list of people that have suffered and died in the hands of the police. One that has finally brought people to the streets to call out the injustice and racism that is still rampant in the country.
In a report by Forbes, Lisa Bender, the President of Minneapolis City Council said that the council's unanimous vote is their move to advance in their commitment to bring change to the way safety is approached in their city. This is also to make everyone, regardless of color feel truly safe.
The resolution also stated that the process to come up with a new safety model for the public will be a year-long engagement process with members of the community who are willing to participate.
In addition, it was also noted on the resolution that the process would involve and would focus on listening to stakeholders who are usually under-served by the system, including Blacks, People of Color,
Moreover, a work group dubbed as the Future of Community Safety Work Group has been commissioned by the city council. The group is tasked to bring about recommendations on how to proceed with the community engagement of stakeholders by the 24th of July.
The group will be made of people from the Department of Civil Rights, the Office of the City Coordinator, and the Office of Violence Prevention. They will be coordinating with the 911 Working Group, the Neighborhood and Community Relations, and the Division of Race and Equity.
Meanwhile, the council's vice president, Andrea Jenkins said in a statement that democracy is an experiment in which every generation has the chance to give a go. This, according to her will help the country move forward to achieving the meaning of real democracy.
