Questions Abound
- How will that work?
- Whom do you call?
- When does this happen?
Abolish the Police
BREAKING: Minneapolis City Council members have announced their intent to disband the Minneapolis Police Department and invest in community-led public safety.
— ACLU of Minnesota (@ACLUMN) June 7, 2020
When I first heard the disbanding news, I thought it was an errant proposal by a city council minority, but it's not.
There is a Veto-Proof Majority in favor of doing this.
A veto-proof majority of Minneapolis City Council members announced during a rally at Powderhorn Sunday that they are planning to disband the police department.
City Council members said they will invest in community-led safety initiatives instead of the police department.
"Our commitment is to end our city’s toxic relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department, to end policing as we know it, and to re-create systems of public safety that actually keep us safe," Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender said at Sunday’s community meeting.
The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Public Schools, First Avenue, and others also decided to end or limit their relationship with the police department.
Incremental Efforts Failed
Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender told The Appeal that disbanding the police department is necessary because “our efforts at incremental reform have failed.”
And When We Are Done, We Won't Glue it Back Together
We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.
— Jeremiah Ellison (@jeremiah4north) June 4, 2020
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. https://t.co/7WIxUL6W79
Jeremiah Ellison's Twitter Profile
Jeremiah Ellison is a "City Council Member, Ward 5. Visual Artist. Storyteller. Political organizer. Northsider."
Majority Pledge
A majority of the Minneapolis City Council pledged Sunday to abolish the city's police department. "We've got to create a system of public safety that works for everybody," says Councilmember @jeremiah4north. pic.twitter.com/KaAO3RYAIh
— Democracy Now! (@democracynow) June 8, 2020
Mayor Booed
CNN reports Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was met with a chorus of boos after telling a group of demonstrators he did not support abolishing the city police department.
Voters Support Protests
Data for Progress reports Voters Have Lost Trust in Police.
- A majority of voters believe that recent protests spring from a desire to hold police accountable and that most protesters are peaceful.
- 68 percent of voters support creating a new non-police first responder agency to respond to issues of mental illness or addiction.
- A majority agree that police killings of black Americans are part of a larger problem and that police use violence when they don’t need to.
Another Question Surfaces
How much will point number 2 cost?
Explanations Please
I would like an explanation as to how these ideas will work and how they will save lives and money.
I could get behind the idea, if someone can provide reasonable answers.
Disband the Unions
Meanwhile, I have a simpler proposal: Instead of disbanding the police, disband the police unions, the teachers' unions, and all public unions.
In addition, end collective bargaining of public unions.
Why It's Impossible to Get Rid of Bad Cops
Public unions protect the bad, the corrupt, and the incompetent.
Incremental efforts failed because the problem is public unions.
For discussion, please see Why It's Impossible to Get Rid of Bad Cops.