MN Police Officers Association Statement on Failed Vote

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minneapolis voters have rejected a proposal to replace the city's police department with a new Department of Public Safety - an idea that arose from the May 2020 death of George Floyd.

The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association has released a statement following the election results.

This should be a wake-up call to all politicians who simply want to abolish and defund police departments.  Police officers serve their communities and place public safety and justice for crime victims at the forefront of their daily actions. Let's work together for increased safety for all, instead of pursuing reckless policies which only empower criminals.

The initiative would have changed the city charter to remove a requirement that the city has a police department with a minimum number of officers.

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Supporters of the proposal said a complete overhaul of policing was necessary to stop police violence.

Opponents said the proposal had no concrete plan for how to move forward and could make communities already affected by violence more vulnerable as crime is on the rise.