Can a city survive without a police force? Minneapolis is about to find out: Council votes to dismantle 'toxic' police force over mayor's objections
Minneapolis councilors have pledged to abolish the city's police force in an historic move that comes after days of protests over the killing of George Floyd.
The city council vowed on Sunday begin the process of dismantling the 'toxic' police department - although 38-year-old mayor Jacob Frey objects, he does not have the power to veto the move after a three-quarters majority of councilors backed it.
While the exact next steps are unclear, plans put forward by community activists in past years call for:
- Funds to be taken from the police department and moved into community services aimed at preventing crime
- Money would instead go to mental health services, social services, jobs programs, and arts groups
- Jobs such as traffic stops, overdose call-outs and mental health calls would be taken away from officers
- A smaller, more-specialized forceof 'public servants' would deal with solving violent crimes
- County sheriffs, whose jurisdiction includes Minneapolis, could be used as a stop-gap police force
The police should just walk off the job and let the city burn.
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