"There is no accountability built into it.
"If you look at what this does do and what this does not do, there are no police reforms built into this charter amendment." Frey told the USA TODAY Network. The amendment would also eliminate the current charter's mandate for a minimum number of officers on the streets. That would change under the proposed city charter amendment through power-sharing with the city council.
Now, Mayor Jacob Frey, who is up for reelection and opposes the policing change, has control over the police. New Jersey governor, Ohio special elections: Here are the other races to watch on Election Day "What happens in Minneapolis is important because it is ground zero for this modern civil rights movement," said Domonique James, a Democratic political consultant who is advising the Yes 4 Minneapolis campaign, the main group behind the ballot question. If it fails, police overhaul, which collapsed this year at the federal level, could be further sapped of urgency, activists worry. If the policing question is approved, criminal justice and political observers say it could signal momentum for similar change elsewhere in the country. Voters in Minnesota's biggest city will decide whether to erase their police department from the Minneapolis charter and create a new Department of Public Safety focused on mental health, civilian wellbeing and social services. On Tuesday, the pace of change in Minneapolis could speed dramatically. Chauvin was convicted of murder.Īlthough Floyd's killing sparked months of unrest in Minneapolis and around the county, critics say Minneapolis has seen only incremental changes to police policy since 2020.
THIS IS THE POLICE 2 STORY TRIAL
The same week Wright died, 10 miles away, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was on trial for killing George Floyd in 2020. The police chief, city manager and the white officer who fatally shot Wright, a Black man, were fired or resigned and city officials began drastically changing the city's police structure. When police killed Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, in April, it drew swift community and official reaction. Watch Video: A look at how the USA TODAY Network covered the George Floyd protests