It’s hard to find polling or even much commentary on the Yes 4 Minneapolis vote coming this November 2nd yet this could change as the days close in on voting day. The only poll I could dig up was two weeks ago from local Minneapolis news Star Tribune which shows 49% to 41% in favor of abolishing the Minneapolis police department and replacing it with a Department of Public Safety.
There has been a few cities that has defunded their police departments since the death of George Floyd. Minneapolis would be the first major U.S. city that actually abolishes the police department and replaces it with a public safety department which as of yet has not clearly specified the entirety of what that would be.
If passed Minneapolis could be ground zero to see how a U.S. city functions without a dedicated police department.
I don’t live there. As an outsider looking in; the Minneapolis police department has a long history of disturbing issues. The city of Minneapolis has become a gap city for some reason.
According to the charter, only if a police force is needed. And while wiser people know one is needed, the driving force behind this measure are those that believe it isn’t. If they take the money and deal with the social issues, the crime will just up and vanish.
It seems a bit hyperbolic to make a big deal about this. The city of Minneapolis is not going to leave its citizens without police protection. Anyone who thinks that is not thinking straight. The economic viability of the city depends on having police. No police…no people. They’d leave.
