Following George Floyd’s unwarranted death and nationwide protests and calls for reforms, the Minneapolis City Council has voted to put an end to its police department and replace it with a community-led model.
The city’s decision to abolish its police department has been made on Thursday and has sparked many debates both on a local and national level.
According to the council members who voted to have the city’s police department removed, the decision to replace the current law enforcement system with a community-led model has been made because “no amount of reforms will prevent lethal violence and abuse by some members of the Police Department.
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“The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, by Minneapolis police officers is a tragedy that shows that no amount of reforms will prevent lethal violence and abuse by some members of the Police Department against members of our community, especially Black people and people of color,” the council expressed in the resolution to create a new model for maintaining safety and order.
As the resolution went on to say, George Floyd’s case is just one on the list of many that prove the current model needs a new alternative.
Speaking of the decision to abolish Minneapolis Police Department entirely, City Council President Lisa Bender said:
“Today’s unanimous City Council resolution advances our shared commitment to transformative change in how Minneapolis approaches public safety so that every member of our community can be truly safe.”
Bender also explained that in the one-year-long process of a switch to a community-led model all willing members of the community will be able to engage in building the new safety model.
“As we respond to demands for immediate action to reduce police violence and support community safety, we will invite our community to help shape long-term transformative change, centering the voices of those most impacted by community violence and police violence,” she added.
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Replaced!