Minneapolis City Council commits to dismantling city's 'toxic' police department
A majority of the Minneapolis City Council agreed Sunday to dismantle the city’s police department after the
in-custody killing of George Floyd, a council member said.
In a tweet, Alondra Cano, who represents the city’s ninth ward, said the department isn’t "reformable."
"We're dismantling our police department," Councilman Jeremiah Ellison said.
Speaking during a community meeting earlier, council President Lisa Bender called the city’s relationship with the department “toxic” and vowed to “recreate systems of public safety that actually keep us safe.”
“Our efforts at incremental reform have failed — period,” she said. “Our commitment is to do what’s necessary to keep every single member of our community safe and to tell the truth that Minneapolis police are not doing that.”
Nine of the city’s 12 council members have agreed to the move,
NBC affiliate KARE reported. Cano said the majority is veto-proof.
In a statement to NBC News, Mayor Jacob Frey said he would work “relentlessly” with city’s police chief, Medaria Arradondo, toward “deep, structural reform” and to address “systemic racism in police culture.”
“We’re ready to dig in and enact more community-led public safety strategies on behalf of our city,” he said.
“But I do not support abolishing the Minneapolis Police Department.”
