Minneapolis voters on TuesÂday reÂjectÂed a proÂposÂal to reÂplace the Minneapolis Police Department, crushÂing the hopes of supÂportÂers that outÂrage over the killÂing of George Floyd would lead to a hisÂtorÂic exÂperÂiÂment in transÂformÂing public safeÂty.
The fiÂnal votes endÂed a conÂtenÂtious and closeÂly watched eÂlecÂtion cyÂcle cenÂtered on how far the city would go to reinvent policÂing, 18 months afÂter Floyd was filmed pleadÂing for breath unÂder an ofÂfiÂcer's knee. Since then, a city alÂreadÂy batÂtered by a gloÂbal panÂdemÂic was the site of the worst urÂban riots in three deÂcades, a surge in viÂoÂlent crime and a wrenchÂing triÂal that reÂsulÂted in murÂder conÂvicÂtions for the first ofÂfiÂcer tried in Floyd's death.
In the days leadÂing up to a hisÂtorÂic eÂlecÂtion, voters were blanÂketÂed with mesÂsages from poÂlitÂiÂcal comÂmitÂtees that had milÂlions to spend as they atÂtemptÂed to sway peoÂple to vote for or against a measÂure seekÂing to reÂplace the Minneapolis Police Department with a new aÂgenÂcy foÂcused on alÂterÂnaÂtive reÂsponses to criÂses.
While supÂportÂers inÂsistÂed poÂlice would still be part of the deÂpartÂment, opÂpoÂnents of the chartÂer change hamÂmered on themes that echoed in voters' reaÂsons for sayÂing no on quesÂtion 2: Who's going to anÂswer 911 calls? What's the plan for keepÂing the city safe?
Voters opÂposed the aÂmendÂment by a 12-point marÂgin, well short of the 51% needÂed to pass. The failÂure of the balÂlot quesÂtion came as one of its most outÂspokÂen opÂpoÂnents, MayÂor JaÂcob Frey, held a comÂmandÂing lead in his re-eÂlecÂtion bid. Voters also apÂproved a sepaÂrate chartÂer aÂmendÂment that shiftÂed more powÂer from the City Council to the mayÂor, and were poised to oust sevÂerÂal counÂcil memÂbers who led the push to reÂplace the poÂlice deÂpartÂment.
Wynn Wever, who voted at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Longfellow, said the policÂing quesÂtion was the only part of the balÂlot he filled out. He voted no.
"I like the poÂlice. We need the poÂlice," said Wever, 79, a reÂtired roofÂer.
At RooÂseÂvelt High School, KevÂin Nelson said quesÂtion 2 was the most imÂportÂant isÂsue to him. Nelson, a self-emÂployed woodÂworkÂer, said calls to "deÂfund the poÂlice" soundÂed like a good iÂdeÂa in the volÂaÂtile times afÂter Floyd's murÂder.
But as time went by and deÂtails were few, he turned against the iÂdeÂa. "You're voting for whatÂever they want to do," he said. "It's kind of like givÂing them a free pass."
Still, there was hardÂly a conÂsenÂsus.
In the East PhilÂlips neighÂborÂhood, resÂiÂdent LinÂnea Hadaway strongÂly faÂvored quesÂtion 2.
"They've been talkÂing about poÂlice reÂform for 25 years and abÂsoÂluteÂly nothÂing has changed," Hadaway said. "And that's why I'm willÂing to take the risk."
The proÂposÂal beÂfore voters would have amendÂed the city's chartÂer, reÂmovÂing the reÂquireÂment to mainÂtain a Police Department with a minÂiÂmum numÂber of ofÂficÂers based on popÂuÂlaÂtion. InÂstead, it would have creÂatÂed a Department of Public Safety that takes "a comÂpreÂhenÂsive public health apÂproach to safeÂty." DeÂtails of the new deÂpartÂment, inÂcludÂing poÂlice staffÂing levÂels, if any, would have been deÂterÂmined by the mayÂor and City Council memÂbers.
CanÂdiÂdates runÂning in the first muÂnicÂiÂpal elecÂtions since Floyd's death largeÂly agreed that Minneapolis should boost menÂtal health programs, inÂcrease soÂcial serÂvices and seek to deÂterÂmine which nonÂviÂoÂlent calls could be hanÂdled by ciÂvilÂians.
But they disÂagreed on one funÂdaÂmenÂtal quesÂtion: whethÂer the city should reÂplace its Police Department with a new aÂgenÂcy in its efÂforts to take a broadÂer apÂproach to public safeÂty.
SupÂportÂers arÂgued the proÂposÂal would have givÂen the city the flexÂiÂbilÂiÂty to creÂate a new safeÂty sysÂtem that can betÂter reÂspond to resiÂdents' conÂcerns, withÂout beÂing conÂstrained by the poÂlice staffÂing levÂels addÂed to the city's chartÂer durÂing anÂothÂer conÂtenÂtious eÂlecÂtion in the early 1960s.
The iÂdeÂa of havÂing a blank slate was apÂpealÂing to some voters.
"I think Minneapolis might be a reÂalÂly good place to do a triÂal run on this," said Kingfield resÂiÂdent RiÂley Curran, exÂplainÂing why he voted "yes" on quesÂtion 2. "If any city is going to stick its toe in first and figÂure it out, I trust Minneapolis to do it."
OpÂpoÂnents arÂgued there wasn't enÂough deÂtail to enÂsure the new deÂpartÂment would deÂlivÂer the change resiÂdents desÂperÂateÂly needÂed.
"I think we need to do some chanÂges, mayÂbe make some reÂforms, but I do not beÂlieve in aÂbolÂishÂing it withÂout havÂing someÂthing in place, and they've had a year to come up with someÂthing othÂer than nebÂuÂlous, 'Oh, we're going to do this or that.' I haÂven't been swayed," said one votÂer, LinÂda Ramson.
Ramson's reÂmarks were simÂiÂlar to ones deÂlivÂered just days beÂfore by Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, whose 11th-hour news conÂferÂence in full uÂniÂform promptÂed the counÂcil presÂiÂdent to file an ethÂics comÂplaint acÂcusÂing him of misÂusÂing city reÂsources.
"This is too critiÂcal of a time to wish and hope for that help that we need so desÂperÂateÂly right now," Arradondo said. "AÂgain, I was not exÂpectÂing some sort of roÂbust, deÂtailed, word-for-word plan. But at this point, quite frankÂly, I would take a drawÂing on a napÂkin, and I have not seen eithÂer."
The failed balÂlot quesÂtion, writÂten by a group called Yes 4 Minneapolis, would have inÂcreased City Council oÂverÂsight of the Police Department. Voters inÂstead apÂproved a sepaÂrate balÂlot quesÂtion that reins in the counÂcil's aÂbilÂiÂty to give diÂrecÂtion to city staff and soÂlidiÂfies powÂer in the mayÂor's ofÂfice over most city deÂpartÂments.
The city's electÂed leadÂers were deepÂly diÂvidÂed on the quesÂtion of how to change policÂing. NearÂly two weeks afÂter Floyd's death, while the memÂories of nights of unÂrest were still fresh in resiÂdents' minds, they beÂgan ceÂmentÂing their stanÂces.
ProÂtestÂers shoutÂed "shame, shame," at MayÂor JaÂcob Frey afÂter he told them he did "not supÂport the full abÂoÂliÂtion of the poÂlice deÂpartÂment" but inÂstead faÂvored sysÂtemÂic chanÂges. He's been squareÂly aligned with Arradondo.
The day afÂter that proÂtest, nine City Council memÂbers gathÂered in PowÂderÂhorn Park and pledged to "beÂgin the procÂess of endÂing the Minneapolis Police Department," elÂicitÂing strong supÂport from the acÂtivÂists who orÂganÂized the eÂvent and setÂting off a panÂic in othÂer comÂmuniÂty groups who deepÂly opÂposed the iÂdeÂa.
Council memÂbers tried to get a simÂiÂlar chartÂer quesÂtion on last year's balÂlot but were blocked by the court-apÂpointÂed Minneapolis Charter Commission. SupÂportÂers acÂcused the comÂmisÂsionÂers of obÂstructÂing the demoÂcratÂic procÂess, while opÂpoÂnents claimed they were doing the due dilÂiÂgence that counÂcil memÂbers had failed to proÂvide.
Since the pledge, many counÂcil memÂbers have softÂened their rhetÂoÂric, seekÂing to reÂasÂsure resiÂdents that state law makes it difÂfiÂcult to reÂmove poÂlice, beÂcause it says only ofÂficÂers can reÂspond to some calls. Many of them supÂportÂed the camÂpaign to reÂplace the Minneapolis Police Department, as well as canÂdiÂdates who back the efÂfort.
TuesÂday's eÂlecÂtion gave resiÂdents the chance to deÂcide how the city should proÂceed — but groups orÂganÂizÂing on both sides say it shouldn't end disÂcusÂsions about how to overÂhaul policÂing.
InÂside the Gold Room downÂtown TuesÂday night, a handÂful of Yes 4 Minneapolis supÂportÂers gathÂered as they waitÂed for the reÂsults. Corenia Smith, the group's camÂpaign manÂagÂer, said their work was not in vain. "We changed the conÂverÂsaÂtion," Smith said.
A repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtive of All of Mpls, a poÂlitÂiÂcal comÂmitÂtee that opÂposed the proÂposÂal, said meanÂingÂful work must beÂgin now.
"What the voters of Minneapolis have made clear is that we want a planful apÂproach to transÂformÂing public safeÂty in our city," said Leili Fatehi, the group's camÂpaign manÂagÂer.
"It's reÂalÂly time for all the resiÂdents of Minneapolis to unite toÂgether to hold the next mayÂor and City Council acÂcountÂaÂble, to roll up their sleeves and to carÂry out that public manÂdate in good faith."
Staff reÂportÂers Patrick ConÂdon, John Reinan, James Walsh, David Joles, Matt Gillmer, Mark Vancleave, and Anthony Soufflé conÂtriÂbuted to this reÂport.
liz.navratil@startribune.com
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