Some on Minneapolis City Council want to skip voters to create department of public safety

After police shot and killed Amir Locke last week, a group of Minneapolis City Council members are reviving the effort to replace the Police Department, this time without putting the question before voters.

At Thursday morning's council meeting, Council Member Elliott Payne gave a notice of intent to introduce a charter amendment that would create a Department of Public Safety by an ordinance.

"This is not a rehash of the debate we concluded during the last election cycle, nor is it an effort to eliminate the Police Department," Payne said. "I personally cannot accept the death of Amir Locke as the cost of doing business as usual, and I know that we can keep our community safe while avoiding these types of tragedies."

Since George Floyd's death in 2020, the charter, which serves as the city's constitution, has been used to try to change policing and public safety. A proposal to replace the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) with a new public safety agency, written by a political group called Yes 4 Minneapolis, was rejected by voters in November.

The council has not offered any specifics about what the new proposal will look like. But City Clerk Casey Carl said the council's intent is to amend the charter by an ordinance instead of a ballot question referred to voters.

He said once the council develops a proposal, the court-appointed Charter Commission would have to review it to determine whether the change could be done by an ordinance. The proposal also requires a unanimous vote by the 13-member council and approval by the mayor.

In a statement, Mayor Jacob Frey's office said he will monitor the notice of intent as it moves through the legislative process.

The last debate over replacing the Police Department divided council members, with some concerned about making the change amid the city's rising crime and gun violence. Payne on Thursday urged his colleagues to come together once again and unanimously support a better system of public safety.

Because of the new government structure change approved by voters in the fall, the City Council's authority is limited. But council members who are determined to hold the Police Department accountable have been trying to figure out what kind oversight they have over the force, which is under the sole authority of Frey.

They also want to determine whether they can ban no-knock warrants, a factor in Locke's killing Feb. 2.. The 22-year-old's name was not on the search warrant.

"I recognize the limitations of what we can do as a City Council," said Council Member Robin Wonsley Worlobah. "But what City Council can do as a body is resist being silent and actively challenge an entity that continues to harm our city and that the mayor allows them to do this."

Wonsley Worlobah said she stands with her constituents who are calling on the mayor to resign. "[The] MPD has proven that they will not voluntarily change and that the mayor has proven incapable of effective oversight," she said.

"Our community deserves better than MPD. If we are going to lay the grounds for a successful department, it has to be under new leadership."

Council Member Jamal Osman said: "We have to remove these outdated laws, the MPD practice."

But Council Member Andrew Johnson cautioned about a reactive approach to public safety. He said there are other critical components and broader ways the city can continue to improve public safety, such as affordable housing, youth activities and economic development.

Johnson, who said he supported the failed charter change, said there's widespread support for a new public safety department, but voters "really wanted us to come up with a plan around this integrated approach."

Council President Andrea Jenkins also pointed out that there is no one solution to the "out of control" gun violence in the community, including shootings by police. The creation of a public safety department, she said, would not end the violence but is one of the myriad solutions to the problems gripping the city.

"Amir should be with us today, and there is no justification for his loss of life," Jenkins said.