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U.S. NewS Dialuna 1 november 2021
Plan to replace Minneapolis PD worries many Black residents

(AP) — Marques Arm-
strong had just got out of
the shower one morning
this fall when he heard
gunshots that seemed
to come from his Min-
neapolis backyard. After
ducking, he ran upstairs
to check on his wife and
daughter, then looked out
to see a car speed away.

It was a depressingly routine
occurrence on the city’s pre-
dominantly Black north side
that reaffirmed Armstrong’s
staunch opposition to a pro-
posal on Tuesday’s ballot to
replace the city’s police de-
partment — and a required
minimum number of officers
— with a new Department of
Public Safety.

“Everybody says we want the
police to be held accountable
and we want fair policing. No
one has said we need to get
rid of the police,” said Arm- a falloff in police presence roughly 20,000 signatures on “Nobody is proposing to re- “Unfortunately, the way that
strong, a Black activist who — and the prospect that the the petitions to get the mea- duce our investment in pub- our city charter is set up, we
owns a mental health practice city’s popular Black police sure on the ballot came from lic safety,” Fletcher said. “We lack the power to turn those
and a clothing store. “There chief, Medaria Arradondo, north side residents. are proposing to change the ideas into reality,“ he said.
needs to be a huge overhaul will quit if the initiative pass- way that we make those in- “I’m voting yes because a yes
from the ground up, but we es. Mayor Jacob Frey, who Bates said their effort to in- vestments, and ultimately I vote is a vote for taking the
need some form of commu- opposes the ballot question, form people about what the think in the end, investing barrier to change out of the
nity safety because over here is facing a tough reelection initiative would do involved more in public safety than we equation and taking these
shots are ringing out day and fight, with his two top oppo- knocking on the doors of ever have.” imaginative ideas of how our
night.” nents urging their supporters north Minneapolis homes to policing system can be bet-
to leave him off their ballots hear the voices of those most The change is being pro- ter.”
The ballot proposal that goes in the city’s ranked-choice affected by public safety is- posed as violent crime in
to voters Tuesday has roots voting system. sues. the city is spiking. There Rankine’s board last week
in the abolish-the-police have been roughly 80 homi- endorsed a vote in support
movement that erupted after Arradondo, the city’s first “We’ve been extremely inten- cides in Minneapolis so far of the public safety question.
George Floyd was killed by Black chief, recently urged tional because the residents this year – 35 on the north He said his own neighbor-
a Minneapolis police officer voters to reject the proposal of these neighborhoods are side, according to online po- hood is divided on the ques-
last year. It has drawn strong after previously saying that tired of accepting the status lice department crime data. tion, and that’s fine: “There
support from younger Black an element that would give quo, both around police bru- Three victims were children, are no monoliths that cut
activists who were mobilized City Council members more tality and community vio- including one who was shot cleanly across lines, there’s
by Floyd’s death, as well as oversight of policing would lence,” Bates said. while jumping on a trampo- no opinion that cuts cleanly
from some Black and white be “wholly unbearable.” He line at a birthday party. The across lines of race,” he said.
residents across this liberal has sidestepped questions Steve Fletcher, a white City city could near the record
city. about whether he would re- Council member who sup- 97 homicides of 1995, when “If we are in a movement
main if it passes. ports replacing the police it drew the nickname “Mur- against police brutality then
Many people of color who department, said there’s both derapolis.” I feel like all should be wel-
live in the city’s highest- Raeisha Williams, an activist support and opposition to the come in that movement,” he
crime areas say they fear a with Guns Down Love Up, plan from all areas of the city. That trend is compounded said. “We have seen Minneap-
steep drop in the number said she believes the plan’s by the fact the city is down olis police take lives over the
of police officers will leave supporters are mainly white “I think a lot of people are about 300 officers from its last several years and they’ve
them more vulnerable amid residents who haven’t expe- just recognizing that we can- authorized force of 888, taken the lives of all races and
a dramatic spike in violent rienced police misconduct or not be the city that killed partly due to officers claim- backgrounds, so I feel like
crime. the violence that Black resi- George Floyd and didn’t ing post-traumatic stress dis- there should be no barriers to
dents are seeing on the north grow or change,” he said. order after Floyd’s death and entry when it comes to being
The debate over racial justice side. Her brother, Tyrone, the unrest in the city that fol- part of the movement.”
in policing that erupted after died in a shooting there in The ballot question calls for lowed.
Floyd’s death has brought 2018. a new Department of Public Bishop Divar Kemp of New
national attention to Tues- Safety to take “a comprehen- Jerome Rankine, a Black resi- Mt. Calvary Missionary
day’s vote, as well as a river “It’s like our voices are not sive public health approach dent in the Kingfield neigh- Baptist Church, back on the
of out-of-state money seek- heard — they are hijacking to the delivery of functions” borhood on the city’s more city’s north side, said the bal-
ing to influence an outcome a movement yet again and that would be determined by affluent southwest side, lot question comes up every
that might shape change else- making it their own,” said the mayor and City Council. strongly backs the amend- day at his church. He said the
where, too. Williams, who is Black. Fletcher and other supporters ment. Rankine, who also sits police department needs to
argue it’s a chance to reimag- on his neighborhood asso- be changed, but the current
The campaign has been bit- JaNaé Bates, one of the ine what public safety can be ciation board, says dropping proposal is dangerous.
ter. Opponents have attacked young, Black activists lead- and how money gets spent. A the city’s requirement for a
the ballot question as vague, ing the movement to pass frequent example from sup- minimum number of offi- “We need the police -- there’s
with no concrete plan for the ballot proposal, said her porters is funding programs cers would open the way to no other way I can say that,”
what comes after passage. group worked hard to take that don’t send armed offi- innovative ideas to change he said.
Supporters say opponents all voices into account. Bates cers to call on people in crisis. policing.
are overblowing fears about said more than 1,400 of the