Charter Commission Public Safety Comments July 20

Home , Betsy Hodges, George Floyd Square, Nekima Levy Armstrong

7/20/2020 4:04:40 PM

My name is 00000 00000000, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

This initiative is our best chance to build stronger, safer communities for everyone in Minneapolis. Please pass the charter amendment along to voters, and respect our democratic right to decide the future of our city.

Ward 3

7/20/2020 4:04:51 PM

I'm a member of Kenwood community, and I’d like to voice my support for the charter amendment to change the way our city handles public safety. To push the vote back another year is an act of disrespect and hate toward the marginalized people who are most impacted by the oppressive nature of our current system. Any member of the commission who thinks that waiting is best will lose the respect of the people they represent. Please listen to the calls of the people and allow this change to go through this year. Let the people decide for themselves!

Ward 7

7/20/2020 4:06:35 PM

This is the first step, of many, needed to make our city safer for ALL peoples.

Ward 1

7/20/2020 4:06:46 PM

Dear Charter Commission,

I am not in favor of the amendment to the City of Minneapolis charter. I do not want to disempower our mayor and hand the authority of our public safety to a committee of the Minneapolis City Council. I do think that we need significant police reform, but the City Council has failed to show how or what they would do to improve public safety in our city should this amendment pass. I also think this would play into the hands of privatization of public safety, as we have already seen to the tune of thousands of dollars with the private security provided to our city council representatives. I do not want to live in a city where only the public officials and wealthy have public safety. Time to toss this amendment in the garbage. Don't waste the time and money that it will cost to put it on the ballot. If the current city council members get reelected in 2021, then let them have another go at amending the charter.

Ward 4 7/20/2020 4:15:25 PM

I feel that this has been done without intentional discussion with residents (except for those already vocal about this) by our council members. They reacted to a difficult situation by trying to capitalize on this through grandstanding and responding to pressure by a very vocal minority. They have not put forward any plan nor any idea of how this would be worked out and yet want us to vote to change the charter. CM Cano both on TV and through an aid (we called her office and talked with this aid) has stated they cannot begin to dream of new alternatives until the charter is changed. This is ridiculous. How can there be a vote to change without being given and alternative? We do not agree with their commitment to defund the police, especially when they themselves hire private security for protection at tax payer expense. They want to remove our security while hiring some for themselves. We believe there is a need for reform, mostly in the city council, but also for the police, but defunding and changing the charter is not the answer.

Ward 9

7/20/2020 4:15:52 PM

My name is 000000 00000000 and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support investment in our communities first and foremost. To me, this means a significant reduction in police and reallocation funds to community safety and social programs. I want the Charter Commission to let the people vote on this charter amendment.

Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Community members like me should be central in determining the future of public safety in our city. We know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive. This is far too important. We all have so much at stake, but especially Black, brown, and Indigenous peoples. We must be given the chance to vote.

This initiative will allow us to build stronger, safer communities for everyone in Minneapolis. You can be a positive force for change. You can help our city make history. Please pass the charter amendment along to voters, and respect our democratic right to decide the future of our city.

Ward 12

7/20/2020 4:20:55 PM

I am opposed to all changes to the charter at this time. I especially oppose wresting control of the police force away from the Mayor and moving that power to the City Council. I also oppose the official language the at would remove the police department and rename it. It is unnecessary in my opinion and lacks the planning that should have been done ahead of this rushed proposed change.

Ward 11

7/20/2020 4:21:21 PM

We need an alternative to traditional policing, one that involves close contact with the community and equal protection for people of all races.

7/20/2020 4:21:35 PM

My name is 00000000 000000 and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 12

7/20/2020 4:22:36 PM

The proposed changes to our Charter are potentially huge. i think it will be important for the voters to have a chance to signal their support for, or opposition,to, the process esrly on.

Ward 12

7/20/2020 4:38:04 PM

Members of the Charter Commission- We the people have had enough. It is clear that something needs to change and amending the city charter will allow us to reimagine public safety from the ground up. The master's tools cannot dismantle the master's house. This charter is one of those tools and we have the opportunity to eliminate this one of the many obstacles in our path toward a more equitable and just city. We showed up in the streets, in meetings with the city council, and we are now ready to show up to the ballots and vote for the future of our community. Will you let us vote?

Ward 5

7/20/2020 4:39:35 PM

I do not agree that the charter amendment should be put on the ballot in 2020. There are too many unanswered questions. I don''t understand why some council members say the charter must be amended before they can come up with the details of what a new public safety division would look like. I would rather have them come up with a plan and then propose a charter amendment that would fit that plan. This does not have to happen in this election cycle.

Ward 7

7/20/2020 4:40:34 PM

Hello,

I am writing to express my continued conviction that the charter amendment NEEDS to be on the ballot this year. This conversation is too urgent to be delayed or stunted. The people of Minneapolis deserve the right to vote on this change for themselves. This is of paramount importance to so many, and our government needs to reflect that. To hoard decision-making among a few unelected(!!) officials (even when it comes to deciding what we can vote on) is undemocratic in the face of this much support and discourse among the people. This decision should be in the hands of the general populace. Let us vote.

Putting this amendment to the Charter on the ballot is not abolition of the police. It is simply the first step towards reimagining our futures and building from the ground up. If you believe that any real change is needed, you need to allow this change to the charter to be put on the table. It is what will allow us to move forward, to any extent, into a safer future free of racist policing. Let the people decide.

Allowing this change to be put on the ballot would be a symbolic gesture as well as an administrative one. Putting this amendment on the ballot means supporting the continued discussion of safety in Minneapolis. It means opening the door for our city to envision new futures, to imagine big change in favor of the community, to talk about what is actually important for us. It would mean acknowledgement of these broken systems, and of the fact that broken systems are not changed incrementally.

It takes bravery to open the door to the unknown, to something that could usher in radical change. But it is what the people are calling for. Join us. Or at least get out of our way.

Let us vote. It is your job to listen. Not to decide our future for us.

Ward 6

7/20/2020 4:41:37 PM

"My name is 0000 00000000 and I am a resident of Minneapolis in ward 6. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 6

7/20/2020 4:41:54 PM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. It is our duty as a democratic nation to live out our values and allow the people to be heard.

Ward 9

7/20/2020 4:45:32 PM

My name is 00000-00000, and I am a resident of Minneapolis downtown. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities especially homelessness & addiction services.I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, Brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive. I also encourage Minneapolis leadership to tell Bob Kroll To Resign publicly. Overall I believe there would be more police support if Bob Kroll was not Representing the police union.

Ward 7

7/20/2020 4:46:34 PM

Last week, by email sent through City Clerk Casey Carl, I submitted a letter to the Charter Commissioners along with an attached alternate proposed Charter Amendment intended to address several issues that have been raised in public testimony about the City Council's proposed amendment. I am submitting the letter and proposed alternative here so that it is part of the official record of the Commission's proceedings, and so that the public may also have access to it. Thank you,

I don't reside in Minneapolis

Attachment:

July 16, 2020

Re: Proposed Public Safety Transformation Charter Amendment

Dear Charter Commission Members:

I have been following the discussions about the proposed Public Safety Charter Amendment and would like to offer some ideas, with suggested charter language, that could help to address some of the issues discussed at Charter Commission meetings. I am attaching a draft of an alternative amendment that incorporates these ideas. I hope you will find these ideas useful in your deliberations.

I strongly support the idea of transforming the way public safety services are delivered in the Twin Cities. I’d like to see Minneapolis set an example for the rest of the state in how to do this successfully. I also believe that the charter amendment to authorize this transformation should be voted on this year, so that the transformation process can get underway.

However, I share the concern of some Commission members, and some members of the public who have testified to the Commission, that unless some key questions and confusion raised by the current proposal are addressed, the amendment may fail at the ballot box, thus setting back the transformation effort.

First, I’d like to give you a bit of background on myself and my interest in these issues. I was a resident of Minneapolis from 1975 to 1990. Since 1990 I’ve resided in St Paul. I have been following police use of force issues for a number of years. I made extensive comments on the St Paul police department’s policy revisions during the public comment process two years ago. As a white person, I’m committed to working toward anti-racist public policies in whatever way I can.

I am a retired lawyer who served as an attorney for the Minnesota State Senate (Senate Counsel Office, 1975-83) and as an Assistant Attorney General (1983-2011). In my capacity as a public attorney, I drafted many pieces of legislation that became law, especially in the area of environmental protection. My comments here are strictly my own and do not represent my former employers or any organization. The key issues that I’d like to address and the changes I’m suggesting for your consideration are as follows:

(1) Authority over the new Department of Public Safety and Violence Prevention.

The proposed amendment seeks to redraw lines of authority over the new department and future law enforcement services by eliminating current language vesting administrative control of the law enforcement function in the Mayor’s office. City Council members in testifying to the Commission have indicated that the new department should be treated like other city departments which are subject to joint direction by the Mayor and Council. But the proposed amendment goes further and seems to be a mirror image of the current provision, only vesting most or all authority in the City Council.

The suggestions in the attached alternative remove language vesting control of the new department in the Council and simply treat the new department the same as all other city departments, with joint Mayor/Council control. This redresses the lack of authority over law enforcement complained of by the Council without setting up a new line of authority that raises unnecessary and distracting questions about Council versus Mayor authority.

(2) Uncertainty about future law enforcement services to be provided by the City.

The current proposal states that the City “may” create a division of law enforcement services in the new department, staffed by licensed peace officers. This has created confusion and concern about whether law enforcement services will be part of the new department’s responsibilities. City Council testimony to the Commission indicates that the Council wants to keep open the option to contract with other units of government for law enforcement services.

The suggested alternative states that the new department “shall” provide for law enforcement services for the city, and it allows the department to do this by either of two mechanisms (or by a combination of both). Those mechanisms would be to create a new division of law enforcement within the department, made of up of city employed licensed peace officers and/or to contract with other units of government for some or all of those services.

(3) Lack of Articulated Principles for Establishing the New Department.

The current proposal is silent on the principles that will guide the establishment of the new department except for the aspiration that the department will prioritize “a holistic, public-health oriented approach” to public safety and violence protection.

More specific organizational principles in the charter would help the public better understand the city’s vision for the new department, without locking it into the nuts and bolts of how the department is going to be structured and operated. In addition, some community members and organizations are concerned that issues like reforming police use of force and police accountability to citizens, issues of longstanding community concern, may not get sufficient attention in establishing the new department.

The suggested alternative includes five organizational principles that would help the public understand the direction of the new department and reassure the public that longstanding law enforcement reform and accountability issues are part of that direction. (4) Desire for More Public and Community Input In Establishing the New Department and Defining Its Mission

Some community members and organizations, especially from communities most affected by dysfunction and abuse in the current law enforcement system, have asked for more opportunities to have a say in how public safety services for the city should be transformed. Additional opportunities for community and public input can be included in the ordinance proposing the charter amendment, so that this input can be taken into account before the new department is established.

The suggested alternative changes the effective date of the amendment by requiring the City Council to certify by resolution that the new department has been organized and is prepared to carry out its responsibilities. In addition, the alternative states that, before passing such a resolution, the council is required to engage in a process to solicit opinions and ideas for the organization of the new department, and to issue a report on the findings from that process. There is no specific time frame or deadline for completion of this process or passage of the certifying resolution.

I offer these suggestions with the hope of stimulating further discussion about how to craft a charter amendment that can be placed on the ballot in November with a solid chance of passage and an increased probability of success in achieving its important transformational goals.

I apologize for any formatting issues that may cause confusion in reviewing the alternative suggestions. My word processing system was not ideal for this task. I tried to highlight in color the language that was added in the alternative, but it may not always be clear where language from the original proposal was deleted. I’m happy to try to answer any questions about the alternative from you or your staff.

Thank you for the hard work you are doing to try to serve the best interests of the citizens of Minneapolis as you carry out your responsibilities as a Charter Commission.

Respectfully

Suggested alternate language for proposed public safety transformation charter amendment

Attachment to Cover Letter to Minneapolis City Charter Commission Members from xxxx xxxxxxxx dated July 16, 2020

ORDINANCE Amending Article VII of the City Charter relating to Administration and Article VIII of the City Charter relating to Officers and Other Employees, pertaining to the creation of a new Charter Department to provide for community safety and violence prevention, and the removal of the Police Department as a Charter Department. The City Council of the City of Minneapolis do ordain as follows:

Section 1. That Article VII, Section 7.2(a) of the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to read as follows:

§ 7.2. Departments.

(a) The departments generally. The City Council must establish, organize, and otherwise provide for these departments:

(1) a City Coordinator;

(2) a City Clerk (section 4.2(e)); (3) a City Assessor;

(4) a City Finance Officer and budget office, including a director;

(5) a City Attorney and legal department;

(6) a civil rights department, including a director, and a civil rights commission (section 7.2(d));

(7) a department of community planning and economic development; (8) a fire department (section 7.4);

(9) a health department, headed by a health commissioner; (10) a planning commission (section 7.2(e));

(11) a police department a department of community safety and violence prevention (section 7.3);

(12) a public-works department;

(13) a purchasing department;

(14) a regulatory-services department; and

(15) any other department necessary or convenient for the efficient delivery of municipal services.

Section 2. That Article VII, Section 7.3 of the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to read as follows:

§ 7.3. Police Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention. (a) Police department. The Mayor has complete power over the establishment, maintenance, and command of the police department. The Mayor may make all rules and regulations and may promulgate and enforce general and special orders necessary to operating the police department. Except where the law vests an appointment in the department itself, the Mayor appoints and may discipline or discharge any employee in the department (subject to the Civil Service Commission's rules, in the case of an employee in the classified service). (1) Police chief. (A) Appointment. The Mayor nominates and the City Council appoints a police chief under section 8.4(b). (B) Term. The chief's term is three years. (C) Civil service. The chief serves in the unclassified service, but with the same employee benefits (except as to hiring and removal) as an officer in the classified service. If a chief is appointed from the classified service, then he or she is treated as taking a leave of absence while serving as chief, after which he or she is entitled to return to his or her permanent grade in the classified service. If no vacancy is available in that grade, then the least senior employee so classified returns to his or her grade before being so classified. (D) Public health. The chief must execute the City Council's orders relating to the preservation of health. (2) Police officers. Each peace officer appointed in the police department must be licensed as required by law. Each such licensed officer may exercise any lawful power that a peace officer enjoys at common law or by general or special law, and may execute a warrant anywhere in the county. (b) Temporary police. The Mayor may, in case of riot or other emergency, appoint any necessary temporary police officer for up to one week. Each such officer must be a licensed peace officer. (c) Funding. The City Council must fund a police force of at least 0.0017 employees per resident, and provide for those employees' compensation, for which purpose it may tax the taxable property in the City up to 0.3 percent of its value annually. This tax is in addition to any other tax, and not subject to the maximum set under section 9.3(a)(4). (a) Responsibilities of Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention. The department of community safety and violence prevention has responsibility for public safety and violence prevention services. (b) Director of Community Safety and Violence Prevention Department. The Mayor nominates and the City Council appoints a director of the department of community safety and violence prevention under section 8.4(b). Individuals eligible to be appointed as director will have non-law enforcement experience in community safety services, including but not limited to public health and/or restorative justice approaches.

(c) Organizational Principles. The Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention shall be organized in accordance with the following general principles:

(1) The Department’s mission shall be based on a holistic, public health-oriented approach to public safety and violence prevention;

(2) In providing services to the community, including services to address mental health, domestic violence and abuse, drug use and possession, traffic enforcement and investigations, and incidents of criminal violence or threat of violence, the Department shall assign appropriate personnel with training and experience suited to the particular services provided.

(3) Services provided by armed peace officers shall be focused on prompt and effective response to incidents of criminal violence and threatened criminal violence, and may include support for other public safety services if required for the protection of life and safety.

(4) The Department shall assure that all persons providing law enforcement services for the city are required to meet the highest standards of professional conduct, including prioritizing the sanctity of human life, use of force as a last resort, and other measures that recognize the right of all persons to be free of excessive force by law enforcement officers; and

(5) The Department shall provide for citizen accountability mechanisms that allow citizens representative of the diverse communities, neighborhoods and cultures in the city to review and make recommendations for the operation of the Department, including violation of professional and departmental standards by law enforcement officers employed by or acting under contract to the Department.

(d) Division of Law Enforcement Services. The Council may maintain department shall provide for law enforcement services for the city by either or both of the following alternatives:

(1) Creation of a division of law enforcement services within the department, composed of licensed peace officers. The division shall be a new organization or agency that is not a continuation of the police department as constituted under previous charter authority, and shall be subject to the supervision of the director of the department of community safety and violence prevention; (2) The department may contract with one or more other units of government to provide some or all of the law enforcement services for the city.

If a Law Enforcement Services Division is created within the department, the director of the department of community safety and violence prevention shall appoint the director of the division of law enforcement services, subject to confirmation by official act of the City Council and Mayor.

Section 3. That Article VII, Section 7.4 of the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to read as follows:

§ 7.4. - Fire. (a) Fire department.

(1) Fire chief.

(A) Appointment. The Mayor nominates and the City Council appoints a fire chief under section 8.4(b). (

B) Civil service. The chief serves in the unclassified service, but with the same employee benefits (except as to hiring and discharge) as an officer in the classified service. If a chief is appointed from the classified service, then he or she is treated as taking a leave of absence while serving as chief, after which he or she is entitled to return to his or her permanent grade in the classified service. If no vacancy is available in that grade, then the least senior employee so classified returns to his or her grade before being so classified.

(2) Senior management.

(A) Senior managers. The department's senior managers are those holding the titles (which may be held by one or more employees)— (i) assistant chief, (ii) deputy chief, (iii) fire marshal, (iv) assistant chief of training, or (v) engineering officer.

(B)Appointment. The fire chief appoints, with the City Council's assent, without examination, a senior manager from the department's firefighters with the rank of captain or higher; and may discharge him or her at will, without regard to the Civil Service Commission's rules. An officer who accepts such an appointment is treated as taking a leave of absence, retains his or her grade and seniority in the classified service, and earns seniority in that grade while serving as a senior manager, after which he or she is entitled to return to his or her permanent grade in the classified service. If no vacancy is available in that grade, then the least senior employee so classified returns to his or her grade before being so classified.

(3) Officers and staff.

(A) Appointment. The fire chief, with the City Council's assent, appoints (subject to the Civil Service Commission's rules) the department's other officers and other employees.

(B) Layoffs. The fire chief may (subject to the Civil Service Commission's rules) discharge an employee in the City's interest. If the City Council directs that the department reduce its force, then the chief must recommend only such layoffs as will not impair the department's operations.

(b) Fire marshal. The fire marshal must take care that all laws and ordinances against danger from fire are faithfully observed and enforced, for which purpose the marshal may enter and inspect any building (including a dwelling) at any reasonable time. The marshal must examine and record the cause of any fire.

(c) Fire police. The City Council may provide for fire police within either the fire department or the police department. The fire department may command the police officers at any fire.

(d) Fire emergencies. If necessary for the protection of life or property from an unusual fire, a riot, or a like emergency, the fire chief may— (1) compel the attendance of any employee in the fire department (including an off-duty firefighter), for which purpose the chief may make any necessary or prudent rule; and (2) appoint additional officers or other firefighters for temporary service during the emergency, without regard to the Civil Service Commission's rules. (e d) Funding. The City Council must fund a fire department that can maintain adequate staffing. (1) Operating expenses. The department's operating expenses are paid out of the general fund. (2) Capital expenses. The department's capital expenses are paid out of the permanent-improvement fund, or the proceeds from bonds issued for the purpose, or out of the general fund. Section 4. That Article VIII, Section 8.2(d) of the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to read as follows: § 8.2. – Officers generally. (d) Tenure. Each officer takes office, after having qualified and taking the required oath— (1) in the case of an elected officer other than a Council member, elected in a regular election, on the first weekday in January that is not a holiday in the calendar year next following the election; (2) in the case of Council members, elected in a regular election, on the first Monday in January in the calendar year next following the election;

(3) in the case of an elected officer elected at a special election, when the results are certified;

(4) in the case of an officer appointed under section 8.4(b), other than the police chief, on the first weekday in January that is not a holiday in an even-numbered year; and

(5) in the case of the police chief, on the first weekday in January that is not a holiday in the year the appointment starts; and (65) in the case of any other office, as any applicable ordinance provides, otherwise upon election or appointment.

Section 5. That Article VIII, Section 8.4(b) of the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to read as follows:

§ 8.4. – Other officers.

(b) Appointment by Mayor or Council. Where a general law, special law, ordinance, rule, or other authority provides for an officer's appointment by the Mayor, by the City Council, by any board or commission whose membership mostly consists of Council members, or by any combination of them, and does not explicitly override this section 8.4(b), then the appointment is vested collectively in the Mayor, Executive Committee, and Council as this section provides. The Council may prescribe the Executive Committee's process, and may require consultation with any interested Council committee or member, but may not limit the candidates that the Mayor may nominate or the Committee may review. This section 8.4(b) does not apply to any appointment for which another provision within this charter provides unless the other provision explicitly refers to this section.

(1) Nomination by Mayor. The Mayor enjoys the exclusive power of nominating the officer in the first instance.

(2) Recommendation by Executive Committee. The Executive Committee must review the Mayor's nomination, which it may forward to the City Council with a recommendation that the candidate be appointed.

(3) Appointment by City Council. The City Council may appoint a candidate that the Executive Committee has recommended. The Council may not appoint a candidate that the Executive Committee has not recommended.

(4) Failure of appointment. If an office has been vacant for at least 90 days (or 30 days in the case of the police chief), or if the Mayor has nominated three candidates that the Executive Committee or the Council has rejected, then the Executive Committee may by a majority of its membership name three or more candidates, from whom the Mayor must nominate one. If the Mayor has not, after 20 days, nominated a candidate so named, then the Executive Committee may by a majority of its membership recommend one such candidate to the Council, and the Council may appoint the recommended candidate, without the Mayor's nomination. This process recurs until an officer is appointed.

(5) Suspension. The Executive Committee may suspend without pay any officer appointed under this section 8.4(b). Any such suspension expires after five days unless the City Council extends it.

(6) Removal. The City Council may not remove an officer appointed under this section 8.4(b) unless the Executive Committee so recommends, and may not remove a Civil Service Commissioner except for cause.

(7) Holding over. Any officer subject to appointment under this section 8.4(b) whose term has expired but whose successor has not been appointed may continue in office for up to 180 days. The Executive Committee may thereafter appoint a temporary successor for up to 90 days. The office is otherwise vacant until a successor is appointed and qualifies.

Section 6. That the proposed amendment related to the creation of a community safety and violence prevention department and the removal of the police department be submitted to the qualified voters of the City for adoption or rejection at the 2020 Presidential General Election to be held November 3, 2020, and that notice of such submission be given by the City Clerk by publication of such notice and amendment, in full, once a week for two successive weeks prior to November 3, 2020, in the Star Tribune, a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Minneapolis, and in Finance and Commerce, the official newspaper of the City of Minneapolis. In submitting the proposed amendment for adoption or rejection by the qualified voters, the title and language of the question shall be presented as follows: “Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to provide for the establishment of a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department and to remove the Police Departmentwith responsibility to provide for public safety, violence protection and law enforcement services.” Yes ______No ______”

Section 7. This ordinance shall take effect May 1, 2021upon certification by resolution of the City Council that the Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention has been organized and is prepared to carry out all of the responsibilities set forth in Sec 7.3 of the Charter. Before passing any certification resolution as provided in this section, the council shall engage the public in an open and interactive process to solicit opinions and ideas for the organization of the department, and shall issue a report on the findings from that process.

7/20/2020 4:48:21 PM

I support this amendment because we, as the body of society, have a right to choose who and what polices our city. All lives cannot matter until black lives matter!

Ward 2

7/20/2020 4:49:09 PM

I believe the City Council's rash proposal to change the Minneapolis city charter in order to establish a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department and remove the Police Department from the Charter is at best uninformed, misguided and unrealistic, and at worst a pandering positioning for political power or deliberate attempt to create division and destruction in our society. The City Council has performed shamefully throughout the entire situation spurred by the George Floyd tragedy. They are helping to fuel a movement turned violent and outrageous in their demands...simply destruction without realistic or positive outcomes laid out.

Additionally, blaming and criticizing all policemen for the actions of a few is morally wrong and a danger to peaceful society. The lack of a means of enforcing laws also opens the door to criminal and other self motivated and/or hazardous forces moving in and taking control for themselves.

Certainly reforms are in order, but this ill-informed and undefined plan to "defund" the police department is a not a solution. Negative ramifications would extend far outside the actual city of Minneapolis. A well thought out plan and process of working together is the only true solution.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/20/2020 4:51:48 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxx, and I am a resident of Saint Paul. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters should have a role in determining the future of public safety in the city in which my son lives. The behavior of the Minneapolis Police also affected Saint Paul, its neighboring communities, and the rest of the Nation and the World.

This initiative is our best chance to build stronger, safer communities for everyone in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities. Please pass the charter amendment along to voters, and respect the voters of Minneapolis democratic right to decide the future of our Cities.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/20/2020 4:56:20 PM

My name is xxxxxxx and I am a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

7/20/2020 4:57:59 PM

I believe it is critical to give the voters in our community the opportunity to voice their opinion about this Charter amendment at the ballot box. The community has called for these changes and the City Council responded. We cannot let this conversation end with the Charter Commission.

Ward 8

7/20/2020 4:59:00 PM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. I support the opportunity to create a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department. Give us a chance to create something better than policing, don't let the charter can't stand in the way.

Ward 12

7/20/2020 5:00:36 PM

I strongly support the proposed amendment to the city charter. It is clear to me, based on the organizing and protesting we have seen in Minneapolis, that Minneapolis residents feel it is time to do away with the Minneapolis police department. The department is not one which protects residents of the city, but instead is a corrupt organization which terrorizes, threatens, harms, and kills them. After numerous opportunities to change, after thousands of complaints and the deaths of Jamar Clark and plenty of other people of color in the city limits, they have proven they are unable or unwilling to do so. Minneapolis residents want their tax dollars going towards community health, safety, and support.

Ward 10

7/20/2020 5:04:43 PM

What does "a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department " have to offer with the level of drug dealing, death threats, sex trafficking, car theft, vandalism, and mugging at gunpoint in broad daylight and in people's homes happening RIGHT NOW and escalating rapidly in just one city lot - 2601 14th avenue south. We cannot wait for a new plan.

I have lived here for 27 years, and I have never seen the level of lawlessness as mentioned above.

You will always have some bad eggs in any department.

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Keep the police; hold them accountable with as severe a justice as you will, but if you defund them, you will open up a huge likelihood of criminal escalation and vigilante justice.

They are organized, they are brazen, they are well-armed.

You have done nothing.

Ward 9

7/20/2020 5:12:29 PM

Hello: As a 33-year resident of Minneapolis, I ask you to quickly approve that the City Council's charter amendment proposal be put on the November ballot for Minneapolis voters to decide. For six years, I have talked to my City Council member about changing how policing works in Minneapolis. Every time he has said that his hands are tied by the city's contract with the police union--as well as, it turns out though he didn't say, the city charter. Mayors and police chiefs back to 1989 have noted that they tried to change the culture of MPD and failed. The MPD does not look out for Minneapolitans' safety; officers seem to fear and distrust the citizens of the city that ostensibly employee them. I myself, a 59-year-old white woman in a "safe" neighborhood, have had interactions with MPD police who were mocking, condescending, and disrespectful. They have an "us" and "them" mentality which can no longer stand. We must be able to imagine something different, and the only way to do that is to allow the citizens of this city to have input into the process--first, by allowing us to vote on this important charter amendment in November. We employ the police, period. They should not be allowed to set the table for discussion, as the city charter allows them to do.

Ward 1

7/20/2020 5:16:23 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 5

7/20/2020 5:19:19 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 13

7/20/2020 5:22:18 PM

Having experienced the recent rioting a block from my house, I feel strongly both that real, substantive action needs to happen to reform the Minneapolis police, and that a force made up of sworn police officers is absolutely necessary. The city leadership needs to figure out how to achieve both those goals first, BEFORE altering the city charter. Create the vision, get buy-in from the citizens of the city, and only then, once you have blueprints, begin laying the foundation by making any necessary alterations in the charter. Get it right the first time; don't fumble hurriedly and make things worse. I urge the Charter Commission not to give its approval to this proposal.

Ward 2 7/20/2020 5:29:59 PM

The Minneapolis City Council has demonstrated their desires to shift the city's public safety plan away from the current policing system (in some shape or form) in an attempt to embrace new forms of community policing. There is real potential for progress here:

The City Council must let the voters decide on these future public safety plans NOW. Do not push this transformation back. To strike when the iron is hot will demonstrate to your city, whose wounds are still barely scabbed over from the recent death of George Floyd, that you are here to listen, here to analyze various solutions to a problem, and here for one another in support and care.

Do not delay this. There are peoples' lives at stake. May we never have another Philando Castille, George Floyd, or any other victim whose name we may have to repeat. Please push this measure forward and let people vote on the future of public safety in Minneapolis NOW.

Thank you for your time.

Ward 9

7/20/2020 5:31:35 PM

I am xxxxxxxxxx, a resident of South Minneapolis.

Please let the people vote on the charter amendment. The damage done by the MPD over GENERATIONS has got to stop. Over-policing in BIPOC neighborhoods, and the violence targeted at them, has got to stop. Decades of failed reforms show that we need to completely reimagine what community safety looks like. It's going to require disinvestment in police and RE-investment in violence prevention, youth programs, health and mental health care, employment development and housing.

Please pass the charter amendment along to voters, and respect our democratic right to decide the future of our city.

Ward 12

7/20/2020 5:34:02 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxx. I live in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood of Ward 9l I have watch two levels of justice for my entire 80 years. I have worked to reform the justice system for the last 50 years. The present system cannot be reformed and must be totally transformed. Therefore, I support bringing the charter changes to the people to vote on in November. The murder of George Floyd has provided a catalyst for change. We can make adjustments as we progress on this project, but it is imperative that we start now.

Ward 9

7/20/2020 5:34:10 PM

My name is xxxxxxx xxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 1

7/20/2020 5:40:00 PM

I oppose this amendment. It moves to eliminate law enforcement with no plan for a replacement. We definitely need to make MAJOR changes, but not without a well thought out plan for what we will create that is better. We need a plan that includes law enforcement, that includes accountability and transparency, as well as much greater attention to social services and community needs. The plan needs to be well researched and have the support of leaders of our many diverse communities. We can lead on this, but we cannot rush into something so inadequate and foolish.

Ward 3

7/20/2020 5:42:15 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx, and I am a Minneapolis resident, recently of Seward and now of the North Loop. I believe our city is over-policed, and that services that actually support and uplift our community members are underfunded. As such, I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the us vote on the charter amendment.

I used to be a teacher at North Community High School, and I saw first hand the ill effects of fear-based policing on my Black, brown, and indigenous students. There is a total lack of community trust because the police have shown time and time again that they do not care about the lives, hopes, and dreams of the people they are supposed to protect and serve. As a white woman, my privilege mostly protects me from the fear and discomfort my students felt around the police. But even still, in tense or dangerous situations where a public official could and should help make things safer, I rarely feel that calling MPD will make things better. It often feels safer to intervene personally or simply let the situation play out on its own, because if the MPD were to arrive, the situation could turn deadly. It’s no secret that cops here view themselves as above the law, and often abuse that power out of a sense of fear and hatred of the residents of this city. They don’t seek to mediate or resolve tense situations, but rather to dominate them. They do not make out city safer; they make it scarier.

Trust has been totally and rightfully lost in MPD, and it’s time to build a new system that will actually work for ALL residents. Voters like me deserve a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive. This initiative will let us build stronger, safer communities for everyone in Minneapolis. Please pass the charter amendment along to voters, and respect our democratic right to decide the future of our city.

Ward 3

7/20/2020 5:45:16 PM

I support this amendment, and urge you to recommend it without modification for voters to decide. I live in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis. It is a rare event that I ever see a police car, let alone have to interact with an officer. Let alone fear for my life because of one. I support this amendment because I want to vote to give everyone in Minneapolis that same privilege.

Thank you.

Ward 7

7/20/2020 5:46:22 PM

While I feel there needs to be reform within the citiy's public services especially with regards public safety, an amendment to the City Charter at this point seems premature and about optics rather than results. A more "fleshed out" proposal for the new department seems in order rather than a simple "we'll work that out". In my professional experience, that is a recipe for delay and a lack of attention to details.

Please continue the work needed by voting against the current City Charter Amendment;

Ward 13

7/20/2020 5:46:46 PM

I do not agree that the city charter needs to be changed in order to reform the police department's practice of brutality on citizens. There is much that can be done to change the culture and policies within the police department including defunding part of it it to redirect funds to a more social service approach to address issues of mental illness, homelessness, domestic violence, poverty etc. Doing those things does not require a charter change. I think putting this particular change on the ballot will confuse the general public. I believe we do need a police department and should take a slow reform approach to make changes. This is a long slow process and needs to be treated with great care and not be rushed.

Ward 8

7/20/2020 5:48:03 PM

I am writing to express my full support of the Charter Commission moving the current Charter language to the ballot this November. Allow us, the people, to envision and create a city where safety is community led and grounded in what the people are asking for.

Ward 3

7/20/2020 5:51:29 PM

I ask that you delay the charter amendment for further public comment. This will be a significant change to the way in which policing and public safety are delivered in the city, here are the following issues I see so far with the artificially restrictive timeline the City Council has created:

1. The City Council previously stated there would be a 12-month long consultation period on the future of public safety in the City, so far this has not happened.

2. The City Council has not provided an explanation as to why the Charter Amendment is needed prior to the consultation period and plan being published for the future of public safety. 3. The Charter Commission asked for Neighborhood and Community organizations to be engaged by the NCR department for comment, so far this has still not happened.

4. There are looming questions about the future of Chief Arradondo and therefore the robust reforms the Chief and the Mayor have been implementing.

5. The Charter Commission asked the City Attorney’s Office for a legal analysis on the some of the impacts of this Charter Amendment, this does not appear to have been completed yet.

6. The City Council has not consulted the County Attorney’s Office or Sheriff’s Office on to the extent County law enforcement would have to fill the law enforcement void if the City chose to not have a Police Department.

7. The pandemic has greatly affected public comment opportunities for this Charter Amendment. It is unclear to what extent the pandemic will affect participation in the election; given the current charter in relation to the Police Department has been in place for decades waiting until the pandemic is over is reasonable.

8. The City Council has made it clear through dismissive and disparaging comments they do not respect the Charter Commission’s process, and will not take into account proposed alternative amendments.

It is for these reasons I ask you to use the maximum consultation period for public comment of 150 days. Without this full period of time the citizens of Minneapolis will be entering a charter election with many questions outstanding, and alternative proposals not fully explored. Additionally, in the middle of a pandemic which has massively affected public participation in this process, and may affect voter turnout.

Ward 12

7/20/2020 5:58:16 PM

Hello, my name is xxxxx and as a resident of Minneapolis I support divestment from the police to invest in our communities. It is imperative that the people have a say so I am asking the Charter Commission to let the people of Minneapolis vote on the amendment. Black, brown, and Indigenous communities have faced violence from police since police were established. Therefore, all of Minneapolis needs a voice in what creates a safe and abundant community today and into the future.

This will allow voters to create a more resilient and ultimately safer community for everyone In Minneapolis. I call on you to pass the charter amendment to voters and allow us to establish a future of safety for all.

Thank you

Ward 3

7/20/2020 6:07:44 PM

Applaud your push to reframe 'policing' to safety and community. However I along with so many of your constituents very strongly object to shifting single point accountability for the new department of community safety from the Mayor to the Council. A committee is no way to run such a critical department. From emergency situations require instant decision making to difficult personnel decisions, the right way to structure the new department is with one very clear direct reporting relationship to the Mayor.

Ward 3

7/20/2020 6:10:45 PM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. We have the knowledge and capability within our community to develop safer, healthier ways to protect ourselves than police.

Ward 10

7/20/2020 6:15:51 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxx, a Black man, and I am a resident of Longfellow, Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 2

7/20/2020 6:33:00 PM

I urge the charter commission to move the current language of this amendment to a ballot vote in November. Please let Minneapolis residents decide how for ourselves how we want to be protected!

Ward 2

7/20/2020 6:35:54 PM

please put the charter amendment on the ballot. we need to rethink and reprioritize how we fund the police and all the other means available to us to keep our communities safe and healthy, educated and cared for. this is one imperitive step in that direction.

Ward 5

7/20/2020 6:37:52 PM

"My name is xxxx xxxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive. This initiative is our best chance to build stronger, safer communities for everyone in Minneapolis. Please pass the charter amendment along to voters, and respect our democratic right to decide the future of our city."

Ward 10

7/20/2020 6:41:52 PM

Please let Minneapolis residents vote on the charter amendment regarding public safety funding. This is such a huge potential change, it will never be seen as legitimate unless it goes to the voters. There is no reason not to put this to public vote.

Ward 7

7/20/2020 6:58:59 PM

We oppose the Minneapolis City Council's plan to amend the City Charter. The police department should not be eliminated without a plan in place. We need to know what the proposed Dept. of Public Safety would look like before amending the charter. It needs to have a law enforcement function; although the Police Union must be reined in and made to function like a normal union, limited to advocating for pay and benefits. We believe Chief Arradondo has done a good job and should head any newly-named department; he has instituted some reforms and if the power of the Union is curtailed, he would be able to do much more. Also, we don't think it would work to have this new department accountable to the Council and not the Mayor. The Council in Mpls. already has too much power relative to the Mayor and this causes confusion and bottlenecks.

Ward 7

7/20/2020 7:04:40 PM

I support giving the people of Minneapolis a chance to vote on the amendment.

Ward 12

7/20/2020 7:05:13 PM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. Minneapolis residents should be given the opportunity to vote on the future of policing in their city.

Ward 1

7/20/2020 7:09:10 PM

I support the charter commission moving forward to allow to amendment to be voted on the ballot in November. The commission does not speak for us, so please allow the people to imagine a police free Minneapolis. Let us vote!

Ward 9

7/20/2020 7:09:51 PM

I support a ballot vote in November for the current language of the charter commission's amendment. The charter needs to allow for a new public safety paradigm other than policing.

Ward 7

7/20/2020 7:11:32 PM

Put the amendment to a vote! We, the people of Minneapolis, deserve to make our own decision on how to keep our community safe. We need this change now. Let us vote in November!

Ward 9

7/20/2020 7:19:28 PM

I support the right to vote on this amendment!

Ward 5

7/20/2020 7:20:45 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

I have been a homeowner in the North Loop for the last 20 years.

I do not support the City Council's proposal to amend the City Charter create a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department and remove the Minneapolis Police Department from the Charter.

I believe that the recent increase in crime, both violent and non-violent, will grow even larger in a Minneapolis without the Minneapolis Police Department and that the city will become less attractive to businesses and tourists and more worrying and less viable for homeowners.

I have not seen a detailed plan from the City Council showing the in-depth analysis behind their proposal. I have not seen an impact study showing the full spectrum of potential effects that could be caused by the removal of the Minneapolis Police Department from the charter.

I do not believe that this proposal is ready for the ballot nor do I believe that it will be ready for the ballot until the City Council has done its due diligence which would include public hearings and conversations with many different types of Minneapolitians from all walks of life, with law enforcement, and with other experts.

Thank you for considering my comments.

Ward 3

7/20/2020 7:26:30 PM

Let the people vote on the Charter Amendment. Let's use some of the Police money for the people who need help that are currently being arrested. Has anyone looked into how democratic socialist countries handle crime issues?

Ward 9 7/20/2020 7:29:50 PM

I support giving Minneapolis residents the opportunity to vote on the charter amendment

Ward 8

7/20/2020 7:33:27 PM

If those on the Charter Commission truly wish to serve the city and its people, the way to do so is to allow this democratic process to continue. I'd ask the (overwhelmingly white) Charter Commission to recognize the many ways that they are not representative of the city, and cannot and should not speak for Minneapolis residents as a whole. What a huge opportunity we have here to make meaningful change - and what a heartbreaking shame it would be if an unelected body were to silence it.

Ward 10

7/20/2020 7:38:21 PM

I oppose the proposed Public Safety amendment.

Ward 5

7/20/2020 7:41:56 PM

I am a Minneapolis resident. It is clear that the magnitude of the changes needed to restore trust in the public safety process is too large to be accomplished through reform of the current police department. Replacing the department as indicated in the amendment is the way forward.

However, I am also concerned that due to the speed at which it has been developed, the amendment is being brought before the voters with insufficient detail about what the city council envisions for the new Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention. I understand the desire to capitalize on current momentum to pass this reform now, but I worry that voters who might support a clear vision for a new model of community safety may be unwilling to vote for what is essentially a question mark. If the amendment fails on the November ballot, this will make it more difficult to pass a similar amendment in the future.

If this amendment is to pass, the council will have a lot of communications work to do between now and November.

Ward 12

7/20/2020 7:46:33 PM

I oppose the Public Safety Amendment and ask you to oppose it as well for the following reasons: IT

1. Eliminates the police department without NO REPLACEMENT. Right now the Council does not have a plan. It only promises to develop the plan and how to implement it in the future.

2. Muddles ACCOUNTABILITY. It eliminates the authority of the Mayor and invests oversight by a Director of Community Safety and Violence Prevention who would report to the Council and Mayor. If there is a Division of Law Enforcement Services, " the Director of Community and Violence Prevention shall appoint the director of the division of law enforcement services, subject ot confirmation by official act of the City Council and Mayor." This puts in place 15 "bosses" which means no boss. This also makes authority more distant and less accountable to the electorate.

3. Makes NO COMMITMENT to have a law enforcement function. The proposed Charter Change states: "Division of Law Enforcement Services The Council may maintain a division of law enforcement services, composed of licensed peace officers, subject to the supervision of the department of community safety and violence prevention." This removes from the current Charter language that City Council must establish, organize and otherwise provide for these departments...a police department.

Ward 13

7/20/2020 7:54:34 PM

My name is xxxxxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 10

7/20/2020 8:01:32 PM

I support giving Minneapolis residents the opportunity to vote on the charter amendment

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/20/2020 8:05:16 PM

I have lived in or around Minneapolis my whole life. I grew up in Richfield, went to school at UMN, lived in Loring Park for two years after, and currently reside in Brooklyn Center.

MPD needs drastic reform. The killing of George Floyd brought this issue into the public light. Thereupon we learned that the officer who killed him had a history of brutality, and saw officers behave savagely towards peaceful protestors in Minneapolis.

Previous, milder reforms have faced withering opposition from MPD, especially the police union. I do not believe that policing is inherently wrong, or that police departments cannot be forces for good in their community. However, MPD seems to be a destructive force in communities it polices aggressively. I do not believe that MPD can be reformed in its current form.

The idea of a public safety department instead of a police department is appealing. But, I think police serve important roles. I don't like that no one seems to have a clear idea of how this new department would look if implemented, and worry that it would be pushed too far into a form that fails to serve the community it purports to help. I am concerned that white, upper class liberals (who typically have no need of the police) could vote this measure in over the opposition of people who need the police to deter and solve crimes.

Ultimately, though, I support the measure, because it seems to be the city's best chance of reform--it's where the momentum is. And letting the people decide is almost always the right choice.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/20/2020 8:13:07 PM

I have been following the commission's work on the propose amendment closely, as an interested neighbor in St Paul who believes that policing and public safety need to be reimagined and changed at the roots. I'd like to comment on the new proposed amendment that the Commission is considering placing on the ballot under its authority to do so unilaterally, without City Council approval.

I think that placing this proposed amendment on the ballot would be a major mistake for several reasons. It would entirely change the conversation about what should be done with public safety and the police department in Minneapolis by offering the voters an "easy out." Under this amendment, nothing really changes except the possibility of a police force that is smaller than what is currently allowed by the charter. And that is just a possibility; under this proposal, absolutely no change in the current policing structure would meet the terms of the amendment. It would be much preferable too give the voters a chance to thoroughly discuss and debate a truly transformative process and vote it up or down.

Secondly, although the Commission is within its authority to propose its own amendment, in this case, the unelected Commission would be highjacking the political process that has been initiated by the elected Council to try to create something dramatically new to address a policing system that is clearly not only dysfunctional but ineffective at meeting city needs for providing safety for all of its citizens.

This is not to say that the City Council's proposal cannot be improved. The language drafted by the Council includes several issues that are likely to distract voters and debate from the main issue of whether to reimagine and transform the public safety structure. For example, the Council proposal leaves open whether there will be any licensed peace officers employed by the city in a law enforcement capacity. That issue can and should be rectified so that voters can be confident that law enforcement will be part of the new structure. If the Council wants the option to contract out for law enforcement services, that could be specified as an option.

The Council has also unnecessarily chosen to have a turf battle with the Mayor over control of the new department. A new department is unlikely to succeed without Mayor/Council cooperation and mutual buy-in. The obvious middle ground is to remove the current provision that gives sole control of administration of the police to the Mayor, and putting the new department into the same joint control structure that exists for other city departments.

Finally, the City Council has not persuaded some, perhaps many, voters that they have a well-thought out plan for the new department. Many voters want more public input and community advice before they would be ready to support a new plan for public safety. This too can be addressed by extending the effective date for initiating the new department so that more time is allotted for public input about what it should look like. These are all changes that the Commission could suggest to the Council without undermining the Council's primary goal of creating a path to transform public safety, including policing, in Minneapolis. And it allows a truly meaningful discussion to take place on whether voters want to support such a transformation now, while the momentum for change remains strong.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/20/2020 8:19:18 PM

Ward 5

7/20/2020 8:21:40 PM

I oppose this amendment and strongly suggest you take the full 150 days to review it.

I live in the Erickson neighborhood and LOVE it here. I have spent over a decade remodeling our home to be our forever home and never had a thought to move until I heard the city council announce to the world they want to work towards "a police free future". Now I'm faced with scary options thanks to our city council. Do I flee from my home I love before it becomes unsafe, home values tank, and insurance rates sky rocket or do I risk it and stay and arm our selves (I NEVER wanted to own a gun but if there are NO police in Mpls we likely will) and cross our fingers this horrible amendment never goes into affect?

The fact that this amendment gives the city council and all future councils more power and the option of no peace officers is outrageous. Peace officers are the only people who can legally arrest anyone. No peace officers means NOBODY can be arrested for breaking ANY laws in Minneapolis. Just think about how absurd that is for a second. That's a criminals dream! Criminals (thieves, rapist, drug dealers, black market arms dealers, etc), Cartels and gangs will flock to here and rule this city, everyday people will be armed at all times for their own protection. It will look like a third world country. Everyone with the means to leave will, those who can't will arm themselves, and the wealthy will get private security ( just like our city council).

Tax revenue and property values will plummet insurance will be sky high (due to being in a high crime risk zip code), business will leave taking jobs and tax revenue with it, tourism will be nonexistent (good luck keeping sports teams here if people are scared to visit) . The people who want to defund and or abolish the police want to use that funding for social services "that help keep us safe" like housing, mental health, education, youth programs, etc. Good luck funding programs with virtually NO tax revenue. Where do they think tax revenue comes from? For example if property values plummet and people flee that means little property taxes= no $$ for education.

Crime is all ready insane right now, I've never seen it this bad ever. It's not normal to have federal agencies here to address our crime. So our city council thinks the solution to this increase in crime is to have no cops? Seriously?!

I do agree that the MPD needs massive reform, but this amendment is not necessary in order to do that. The MPDs problem is excessive use of force, this is the issue we must face by emphasing deescalation, sanctity of life and the importance of a moral compass, being a guardian not a warrior, and the department's use of force policy should make clear that deadly force is the last option. I stand by Mayor Frey (who was elected by the whole city) and Chief Arradondo and trust them to make these reforms not our city clowncil who wants us to give them more power with NO Plan for how they will use that power and have already made crime worse with this horrible proposal.

Ward 12

7/20/2020 8:36:40 PM

As a local Minnesotan I have grown up with a certain bias towards those in uniform. At the age of 12 I was pulled over for hiking in my creek. Neighbors thought that my actions seemed suspicious and so I was questioned and pat down by cops. This moment since then has impacted the way I see them from a viewpoint of fear. This amendment needs to focus on building bridges and this amendment is a start! My relatives in Austin have fired the local police chief due to his response to protest. PRAY YOU DO NOT SUFFER THE SAME FATE.

Ward 12

7/20/2020 8:49:31 PM

I support amending the charter. The city of Minneapolis needs to vote on this. The MPD has a long history of abusing and killing black and brown people and this change is long overdue. We are not safe until we are all safe. Let us vote.

I'm white and even though I know I am not a target, I have never felt safe or reassured by our police department. They do not deescalate. Let us vote and be an example to the rest of the country.

Ward 1

7/20/2020 8:50:00 PM

After repeated instances of police brutality by the MPD, it's time for a change. We've tried reforms and they haven't worked or made a meaningful change. This is an urgent issue. We can no longer stand by and allow these current problems to continue. It's time to try something new. The citizens of Minneapolis deserve a chance vote on a change to the charter this upcoming election and move forward with a community focus on keeping Minneapolis safe for everyone.

Ward 9

7/20/2020 8:51:30 PM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. The MPD have lost my trust and I believe our community deserves the chance to make decisions about our own public safety.

Ward 9

7/20/2020 8:51:38 PM

Hello, My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx and I live in Ward 13. I am for the amendment of the city charter. We can look throughout history, centuries back, and see police violence. The system was not created to protect Black people. It's why the city of Minneapolis needs to create a new system of public safety from the root protecting the dignity and personhood of everyone. If no lasting change is going to be made, then the police murders of Black people will continue. It's a message to the communities directly impacted by police violence, that their lives are expendable. If the city maintains the public safety in place today, it's an action the city continues to commit at the expense of others. At the foundation of who we are, it's necessary to uphold human life and right now Black lives are not shown the same type of care and protection white people are. This is white body supremacy. I'm calling on the Charter Commission and the City Council to amend the charter and start the process of transforming public safety in our city, by centering the communities directly impacted by police violence.

Ward 13

7/20/2020 8:56:36 PM

I urge the charter commission to allow the people of Minneapolis to vote on amending the City Charter - - giving them the chance to replace the Police Department with a Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department. ALL residents deserve to live free of the current violence and brutality of a white supremacist system that is more interested in oppressing than serving and protecting them.

Thank you

Ward 4

7/20/2020 8:58:03 PM

Here are some questions I hope to hear discussed at the hearing tomorrow:

* What is your plan to educate Minneapolis voters how the department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention (CSVP) will work? How much more can we expect to know before election day?

* What is your sales pitch to an undecided voter?

* What will day 1 of CSVP look like?

* How many people will CSVP employ?

* How will law enforcement service officers be different than current Minneapolis police officers?

* How will the budget of CSVP compare to that of the current police department?

Ward 10

7/20/2020 9:01:45 PM

We have a unique opportunity to make lasting structural change for residents of all colors in our city, and to serve as a model for cities around the country. Let this city be a bold leader for a new model of justice, safety, and healing. One which is desperately needed across this nation.

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. Let the voice of the people be heard!

Ward 4 7/20/2020 9:04:03 PM

The Minneapolis Police Department has demonstrated it is incapable of keeping Minneapolis safe and is beyond reform. The department is built on racism, violence and lack of consequences. It is time to make permanent changes that actually protect all who live in the city. The need for this change has never been more clear or urgent. Bring the charter amendment up for a vote in November 2020.

Ward 9

7/20/2020 9:22:33 PM

The Charter Commission should move the current charter amendment to a ballot vote. I have joined much of the city in weeks of peaceful protests in the midst of a pandemic to advocate for significant changes to the police department. Permitting a vote on this amendment is the minimum that this movement deserves.

Ward 9

7/20/2020 9:35:04 PM

I am writing to say that I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. We need community based solutions. Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than the policing that is happening now and has happened in the past. We can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way.

Ward 13

7/20/2020 9:38:09 PM

"I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than policing, we can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way."

Ward 3

7/20/2020 9:42:19 PM

This proposed charter amendment matters to every single person living in Hennepin county! Get it in front of the people and let the people of the city vote. Thank you!

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/20/2020 9:42:36 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than policing, we can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way.

Ward 3

7/20/2020 9:43:35 PM

I strongly oppose this proposed amendment to the City Charter on the following grounds:

1) This measure limits accountability within Minneapolis in regards to who has direct responsibility for overseeing the Minneapolis Police Department. One elected person should be held accountable, not a large group.

2) The sponsors of this amendment have no clear plan for public safety if the measure passes. A we'll figure it out as we go attitude appears to be a recipe for disaster.

3) Most importantly, the sponsors of this measure have made no effort in the past to make substantial changes to the Minneapolis Police force. With no substantial transformational efforts in the past, why the need to make drastic measures now?

Ward 13

7/20/2020 9:43:43 PM

I do not support the charter amendment change at this point in time. Please create a vision for what will replace the police department and test it out before changing the whole system.

Ward 13

7/20/2020 9:44:27 PM

I don't want the Mpls charter amendment! VOTE NO on the amendment!

Even though I like in St. Paul, I come to Minneapolis almost on a daily basis either for work, leisure or political work. I want to feel safe and want ALL citizens to feel safe where they don't experience terror when they encounter any law enforcement.

To ensure this, we need actual community control of the police. Period. This amendment

Here are the reasons not to move forward with the amendment: It fails the people

-- The mayor’s office and city council have long track records of letting the police murder and maim with impunity. They had many chances over decades to hold the police accountable and they blew it.

-- There is no reason to believe that after a few months, they won’t revert back to appeasing the police force and the Minneapolis Police Federation.

-- There are no mandates in this proposal for the new department to be any different than the police department now, and no mandate to reduce the size of the police force.

-- Because it doesn’t include any mechanisms to discipline officers, this amendment won’t keep residents safe from violent cops. Renaming and “re-missioning” the police department does nothing to stop police violence, terror and murder.

-- It lets the mayor and city council off the hook for past, present, and future crimes committed by out- of-control cops.

-- It does not provide any way for families to get justice for their murdered loved ones. -- It does not require change to police practices. Excessive force, harassment of Black, brown, and indigenous people, shooting people in the back, and ‘warrior training’ can all continue.

MOSTLY:

Listen to the people who have been fighting for years against police murders. Family members want justice for their murdered loved ones. Groups such as Communities United Against Police Brutality, Racial Justice Network, Disability Justice Network, MN Council on American Islamic Relations, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, and others have struggled for meaningful changes, only to be rebuffed time and again.

It is time to stand with community members who have (unfortunately) experienced police violence and they are the experts on what needs to be done in the police departments.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/20/2020 10:01:01 PM

Please allow us to vote in November on the proposed charter amendment.

My only suggested change to the amendment is to change the language in the opening paragraph to say "creation of a new Charter Department to provide for

community safety and violence prevention TO REPLACE the Police Department as a Charter

Department."

I think the statement to "remove" is misleading, as there will still be a Law Enforcement segment of the Community Safety and Violence Prevention Department.

Thank you for your work!

Ward 2

7/20/2020 10:05:00 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 7

7/20/2020 10:11:07 PM

The police is causing so much harm to our communities. It will make everyone safer if the police is defunded, and that money is put into public programs with trained professionals. An example of this would be mental health professionals responding to a mental health crisis. Please do not let the racist system of policing continue.

7/20/2020 10:17:46 PM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. We must move towards justice for all of our communities, and cease a mindless complicity with violence to Black, Indigenous, and POC communities. I want to be proud of our city and our government and be a beacon of hope and a role model for other cities in creating just and compassionate communities of care. Let us lead with love and kindness, not greed and violence. Change the charter.

Ward 6

7/20/2020 10:23:43 PM

I am in support of amending the city charter and putting the amendment on the ballot for voters to decide in November. We cannot wait for justice. There has already been too much harm done and trauma inflicted on communities of color and the time to act is now. Let the voters decide.

Ward 11

7/20/2020 10:24:46 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxx, I am a resident of Minneapolis, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment this November.

The MPD yet are not keeping us safe, and yet they have inflicted and continue to inflict violence on Black, brown and Indigenous communities in our city. This initiative is our best chance to build stronger, safer communities for everyone in Minneapolis. Please pass the charter amendment along to voters, because we know best what will allow our neighborhoods to thrive.

Ward 2

7/20/2020 10:30:18 PM

Please do not amend the city charter. Only in a society ruled by law and whose laws and rights are safeguarded can we even be privileged enough to entertain such ridiculousness as a city without police. I sat up all night in disbelief watching our city burn as our police force, presumably instructed to not intervene, was standing by and allowing such devastation to occur. Was that not insight enough into a city with no functional law enforcement? Labeling the collective police department as the problem is simply rhetoric, not reality. The truth is much more complex and far more difficult to untangle, and definitively less politically popular to solve. This city council is extreme in its views, irresponsible in its plans, and negligent in its duty to all—perhaps to no one more egregiously than the very same minority population it so claims to support.

7/20/2020 10:56:02 PM

I am in favor of amending the city charter to create a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention department and divesting from the over-policing of inner-city neighborhoods such as mine. This issue is particularly pertinent because me, my biracial son, my son's late father, and two of my three ex-partners have all been subject at one time or another to police harassment. In addition, my late father was beaten by the Minneapolis Police after calling 911 when he was experiencing suicidal ideation. Furthermore, I live just half a mile west of the spot at which George Floyd's fatal encounter with the police took place. For all these reasons, disinvesting in over-policing and the militarization of the police and investing more money into social service and community outreach is a long-overdue step. Please place this proposal to amend the City Charter on the ballot in November.

Ward 9

7/20/2020 10:56:26 PM

Vote and put it on the ballot.

Ward 11

7/20/2020 11:00:16 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxx, and a longtime resident of Whittier. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. I have witnessed time and time again how over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities. If we live in a society where our supposed "law-enforcing" and "peace keeping" department hurts and even murders innocent civilians, I don't believe we live in a democracy by any definition.

Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 10

7/20/2020 11:12:49 PM

I support the charter amendment in its current form and am eager for the chance to vote to adopt the amendment in November. Amending the city charter opens the possibility of crafting a truly innovative public safety system that is not possible under the current charter. Paving the way for removing MPD as a required city department does not mean leaving citizens to fend for themselves; rather, it allows funds to be reallocated in ways that prevent violence by addressing its root causes and create safety by cultivating it systemically, thus decreasing the perceived need for armed patrols and response.

Ward 10

7/20/2020 11:14:08 PM

The proposed amendment to the Minneapolis charter is a performative action meant to stall the people until public momentum against police brutality dies down. Voting no on this charter shows your support for Black lives and the solutions that those most affected, such as TCC4J, are advocating for, and your dedication to truly dismantling the oppression caused by the Minneapolis police.

Ward 2

7/20/2020 11:40:18 PM

It's time for the people to decide how our public safety is accounted for. Our police force currently operates without accountability to us, the citizens who pay their salaries. They work for us, not the other way around. We should be allowed to vote to determine how our public safety is to be instituted. Please allow our citizens to vote on the future of public safety in Minneapolis. Thanks for your time.

Ward 4

7/21/2020 12:03:31 AM

The requirement to have a specific number of police officers in the charter seems misguided. I am ultimately for having a peace keeping force of some kind, but to specifically call that force the police and to require a minimum number of officers is too rigid.

As with any other public health or safety concern, police should be subject to constant scrutiny. If their service truly is vital, then Minneapolis citizens will see that they are allocated resources. If they are unnecessary, or can be replaced by an improved set of organizations, than I think the citizens should have that as an option.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 12:23:34 AM

I deeply support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. Please. We can do better. This is the great work. We can make something better, but we need this.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 12:23:41 AM

How can the city council justify asking the residents of Minneapolis to amend the city charter effectively removing the requirement of a police force when they have no replacement? No doubt policing in this country needs to change drastically but the idea that a city the size of Minneapolis can function without a police force is illogical.

I have lost all confidence in city leadership and literally can not imagine how council members sleep at night knowing they are responsible for the well being of citizens and they are failing us so badly. I do not have the words to express how frightened and hopeless I felt in my own home the nights of intense rioting when we were pretty much told not to call 911 because no one will be there to respond. We were advised to have hoses at the ready in case of a fire and to be ready to abandon our homes if they are breached. Surreal.

The death of George Floyd happened on the council's watch because they were too wrapped up in bike lanes and banning plastic bags to address any meaningful police reform. Now the council is asking the citizenry to effectively dismantle the police department in favor of something they can not define but will definitely determine at a later date - probably.

The current city council has too much power. I would support an amendment to take power away from this council but I do not support an amendment to remove the requirement of a police force from the city charter.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 12:29:35 AM

"My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 2:21:11 AM

"My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, and I am a resident of Columbia Heights who works in Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/21/2020 2:31:19 AM

My husband & I do NOT support dismantling the police department. We DO support massive changes within the police department to end police brutality & excessive force (especially towards minorities), fire officers with repeated complaints of excessive force, better training & make it easy & anonymous for officers to report fellow officers they believe are violating rules and/or the public trust. Minneapolis has the support of their residents to make REAL changes happen within the department without dissolving it. This is a dangerous idea, in our opinion. It is obvious that criminals feel emboldened since the City Council has announced their plans to defund/dismantle the police force! In an article written by Holly Bailey in the Washington Post (dated 7/10) she states that there's been an unprecedented surge in violence since George Floyd's death. And (quoting): "More than 240 people have been shot, 13 fatally, since May 25, according to police. On Thursday evening, nine people were shot and one was killed in a span of six hours. One of the wounded was a pregnant woman. More than 1,500 instances of gunfire have been reported across the city, nearly double the number during the same period a year ago, according to police data citing 911 calls and ShotSpotter technology. Police scanner traffic has been jammed with reports of other violent incidents, including robberies and carjackings." She also points out in the article that over 150 officers are suffering from PTSD resulting from the protests (& the violence, looting rioting & arson) after George Floyd's death.

We listened to most of the testimony that 3 police officers gave during the MN Senate meeting (7/15) about what happened in the week after George's death, from their perspective. It was heartbreaking to hear the stories of cops being attacked with all kinds of deadly projectiles by the very citizens they are called to protect. They felt abandoned by the city leadership & we agree. We watched in horror as our beautiful city was burning for 4 days straight, until finally the National Guard was called in to shut down the violence, thank God! Yes, we have some bad cops & they need to GO. But the majority of cops are good, decent people who vowed to protect & serve their community. And they put their lives literally on the line every day for all of us...even those who hate them & want them dead. I don't know of anyone in my neighborhood who supports abolishing the police department. Not one! The number one priority of our City's leaderships is to protect it's citizens & they have been negligent by not supporting the police department. It would be a dangerous & imprudent experiment to dismantle the police dept. that we, the citizens, would suffer the consequences of.

How can you expect the public to vote on this when there isn't even a solid, crafted plan of what exactly would replace the police department? I hope that you, as members of the Charter Commission, will NOT rush this onto the ballot in November. You owe it to your constituents to, at the very least, take the necessary time to thoroughly review any proposal to amend the City Charter to allow for the dissolution of our police force! The City Council also wants to strip the Mayor of power over the police department & place that responsibility squarely on their shoulders. The City Council should NOT have that much power, that is dangerous, as well! I believe that the majority of Minneapolis residents do NOT back getting rid of our police force. Please let our voices be heard!!

Thank you for your time & consideration.

A concerned resident of the East Isles/Uptown area

Ward 7

7/21/2020 3:31:51 AM

Charter amendment

Whereas: The Minneapolis City Council has submitted a Charter amendment proposal that would eliminate the current provision that reads that the city “must fund a police force of at least 0.0017 employees per resident, and provide for those employees’ compensation” and replaces it with language that recommends the creation of a “Community Safety and Violence Protection” reporting to the City Council rather than the Mayor

Whereas: The City Council Charter amendment eliminates the position of our current African American Police Chief and replaces the Chief of Police with a position that would lack police training ;

Whereas: The City Council formed its Charter amendment with almost no public input and it is opposed by a number of civil rights activists;

Therefore: Be it Resolved that the Minneapolis Charter Commission not put the City Council proposal on the ballot until next year in order that more citizen involvement, state decisions and research on viable options to address legitimate community concerns will be included.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 5:33:15 AM

I support City Council's efforts to defund and narrow the scope of the Minneapolis Police Department. If we do not act now with substantive, structural change, we are just waiting for the next murder at the hands of MPD. Look at the death, pain, and destruction that resulted from the brutal, inhumane tactics of MPD. There is a better way. We must center the experiences and demands of Minneapolis' Black community to show us a better way. Please allow Minneapolis to vote on this charter amendment!

Ward 2

7/21/2020 5:43:28 AM

Abolish the MPD and invest money in community lead safety! We keep us safe. The MPD is a violent, racist organization that cannot and will not be reformed.

Ward 1

7/21/2020 6:12:10 AM

The charter does not require the PD to be 100% licensed peace officers. The section re CC funding mentions “employees”. The passage above regarding police officers simply states they must be licensed in order to serve warrants, etc., nothing about how many there are. Can we’ve done with the charter amendment and hand this back to the mayor?

Ward 9

7/21/2020 7:17:08 AM

I support the creation of a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department, thereby removing the Police Department from the City Charter. I think this decision should be made democratically by voters in November and support placing this amendment on the ballot.

Ward 11

7/21/2020 7:51:12 AM

I am 100% against the charter amendment. Violent crime is out of control and setting up a structure where a "law enforcement" team would report to 13 individuals would be a logistical nightmare. Removing the language that would support a specific number of officer as well as not allude to where funding is coming from is irresponsible and we will not stand for it. If this amendment is put on the ballot someone should sue the city council for putting the lives of it's constituents in danger.

Ward 7

7/21/2020 7:53:35 AM

I support the charter amendment removing the police department and creating a new community safety department. Please support our city's democracy and allow the language to move forward for a vote in November.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 8:01:23 AM

Without going into too much detail, I disagree with this proposed amendment. The Police Department plays a key role in the safety of this city and while changes are needed, this proposed amendment is not the answer.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 8:12:49 AM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. The people of Minneapolis should be given the space to bring something better than policing into our community. I believe this is possible - the community leaders working to educate our city and showing up to demand justice have shown us that it is - and the charter can't stand in the way.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 8:15:00 AM

As a resident of Minneapolis, I am asking you to vote YES to put the charter amendment on the ballot in November this year. We, the residents of Minneapolis, deserve a voice in the future of Minneapolis. The current model has not been working to protect every Minneapolis resident, and it is time for community input in building a new system that will uplift residents without the bias the current system holds. Thank you for your time.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 8:21:08 AM

Given the racist history of policing and the Minneapolis Police Department’s continuing militarization, institutional racism, and violence against citizens, especially black citizens, Minneapolis would be best served by removing the police department’s charter status and funding a Community Safety and Violence Prevention Department. Minneapolis should also invest in alternatives to policing, such as social services as conflict-resolution counselors, addiction and mental-health programs, summer-jobs and after-school programs.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/21/2020 8:21:11 AM

I support the charter commission in moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. The charter should not stand in the way of our crafting better models of public safety, and the people of Minneapolis should have a chance to express this directly through a vote. I urge the commission not to stand in the way of that democratic process. Thank you.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 8:37:29 AM

I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over- policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

7/21/2020 8:37:45 AM

As a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let citizens vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have harmed Black, brown, and Indigenous communities while often failing to provide safety. Minneapolis voters should have a role in determining the future of public safety, because we know best what will allow our neighborhoods to thrive.

Thank you.

Ward 7

7/21/2020 8:44:35 AM

My name is xxxxxxxx and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I am urging the charter commission to let people vote on the charter amendment. I want a role in determining the future of public safety in Minneapolis.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 8:48:07 AM

Commissioners,

I am a Minneapolis resident who waited through the first public hearing to speak on the issue of making a recommendation to the City Council about the proposed Charter Amendment. Unfortunately, I was not selected in the queue to speak and due to a work obligation will not be able to speak at tonight's public hearing. After sitting through two hours of public testimony, it is clear that the people of Minneapolis are passionate about this issue. Just the number of people who signed up to speak at the first meeting (over 200), those that were able to take two+ hours in the middle of the week to give their feedback, and knowing that our current situation could not accommodate hearing even all of those voices, it's clear to me that this is an issue that the voters must have an opportunity to have their voices heard. This is a question that impacts all of us, even those that are not lucky enough to have time to sit through hours of public meetings just to be heard.

Please don't take away the chance for Minneapolis residents to speak. Make a recommendation to the City Council by the August 5th deadline so that we may all have our voices heard.

Thank you for your time and consideration

Ward 7

7/21/2020 8:57:15 AM

Please take time and caution when proposing amendments to eliminate the Police Department. I favor reform, especially of the Police Union. I favor more attention to social services and mental health. But I fear that the full implications of "defund the police" or the proposed, vague, "holistic" have not been understood. Meaningful changes can be made without such sweeping action.

Please take your time and be sure that any change includes detailed descriptions of what follows.

Ward 7

7/21/2020 9:04:43 AM

I am writing to urge the Charter Commission to move the proposed charter amendment around replacing the MPD to the ballot for voters to decide in November. The Commission should not be the gatekeeper for this vital decision city residents must make about the future of policing and safety in Minneapolis. Members of the Commission are not elected and do not represent residents, so they should not be the ultimate decider that the MPD deserves to stay a required department in the charter. We, the residents of Minneapolis, need to decide this for ourselves in November.

Personally, I plan to vote in favor of the charter amendment because we need a new system to keep us safe after MPD has shown us over and over again that they cannot be reformed, that they will continue to enact racist violence against black people with impunity. We cannot allow this continue in our city, and we need to shift our resources away from a racist, militant force into programs and systems that actually work to keep us safe, keep us whole, keep us housed and self sufficient.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 9:09:56 AM

I am disheartened by all that has transpired in Minneapolis over the past weeks to months. I understand the desire to make meaningful change to policing in our city, to prevent further harassment and profiling of persons based on their race, ethnicity or other characteristics. I fully support the need to make substantive changes in how police are recruited, trained and disciplined, to prevent further injury and death to persons while interacting with police or in police custody. In addition, the need for improved access to mental health services, emergency crisis counseling, and addiction services to aid individuals and families in Minneapolis is clear. Nevertheless, I do not support the proposed charter amendment to defund the police department. Although well-intentioned, the proposed amendment does not have a clear plan for how to ensure safety and maintain order for our residents and our businesses. I fear that enactment of this charter and subsequent proposed changes to the police department, will result in increased crime, decreased tax revenue, and ultimately a reduced quality of life for all residents of Minneapolis. Furthermore, although the proposed amendment is intended to protect and advocate for the residents most likely to face police harassment, and at greatest risk of experiencing police brutality, I fear these residents will also suffer the most if this charter were to be enacted. The city council should consider models that guarantee alignment between safety officers and the communities they serve, where trained mental health professionals are integrated and available when needed and where trust and respect are restored.

Ward 7

7/21/2020 9:19:00 AM

Please oppose the charter amendment. I believe our police system is broken and requires major reform and the charter may need to be changed. However the research and planning should be done first then change the charter not the other way around.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 9:20:19 AM

The charter amendment needs 2 discrete but critical changes. First, the qualifications for the head of the new department are too narrow. A background in law enforcement experience should be permitted. As an example of the problem created by the current language, Chief Arrandondo would be barred from consideration. Why would you want to limit the field of potential candidates? Second, the current draft does not mandate the creation of a police department. Seriously? Does any reasonable person believe we will not have some form of a police department? The ambiguity simply creates fear and anxiety which opposition to reform will use to defeat reform. Do the hard work of reimagined the police force before asking the public to approve a vacuous feel good proposal. The current proposal is a step back not a way forward.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 9:20:30 AM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Overpolicing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 9:36:47 AM

I support the proposed amendment from the city council to remove the police department from the city charter and replace it with a community safety and violence prevention department. The roots of policing in this country include slave patrols - people upholding the "law and order" of owning slaves and ensuring slaves who escaped bondage couldn't roam free. As society has progressed away from overt slavery, policing has continued to be used to maintain the "law and order" of racist systems and policies. We as a society should know better by know, we have evidence showing that prevention is better than punishment, we know that community is central to a thriving individual. Minneapolis and Minnesota is home to the worst racial disparities in the country. Not to mention many high profile police killings of black people. At the same time, Minneapolis and Minnesota are some of the most civically minded citizens in the country. Let the people of Minneapolis decide on the future of safety and community. Let the people of Minneapolis shape a new future, something so needed after all the city has gone through. We should at least get the opportunity to vote on this measure.

Ward 11

7/21/2020 9:39:10 AM

The community needs to decide what safety looks like, not a violent and oppressive system which is what is currently being used. The police do not make me feel safe nor have they ever. Do your job and listen to the people. No more police. Period.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 9:40:35 AM

I oppose the city charter on defunding the police. This is going way too fast we don’t need it on the ballot in November, we need to take the year that the city Council said they would take and come up with a really good plan. Please oppose this charter!

Ward 13

7/21/2020 9:43:11 AM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. The people of Minneapols need the opportunity to be able to reimagine the future and ensure it is better. We can move beyond policing, and make Minneapolis safer and equitable for all its residents, but we need the opportunity.

Ward 10 7/21/2020 9:47:02 AM

I do not support defunding the police department as proposed.

I support changes without eliminating what exists.

Ward 5

7/21/2020 9:48:05 AM

I support the Minneapolis Charter Commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than policing. We can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way.

I believe that defunding the Minneapolis Police will help make us safer if that money is re-directed toward developing a system of community-envisioned and community-led safety, and toward education, housing, job creation, healthcare and mental health services. I believe you lessen crime by eliminating poverty and you lessen violence by creating happy, healthy communities who aren’t fighting over material resources. As a white person whose privileged life rarely experiences interactions with law enforcement, I am going to defer to Black leadership and BIPOC voices on the issue of defunding the police and strongly support the efforts to create real change now.

Thank you for the opportunity to weigh in on this important topic.

Ward 11

7/21/2020 9:49:48 AM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and I've been a resident of Minneapolis for more than 20 years. We deserve a chance to vote on this charter amendment in the upcoming election so that the city can have the flexibility to create a system of community safety that genuinely protects and serves all communities.

Ward 8

7/21/2020 9:56:04 AM

I am writing to support this amendment to change the charter as a first step to create a new vision of safety in our community. Policing in Minneapolis is broken and has repeatedly proven that reform is not the answer. If reform had worked, George Floyd would not have been brutally murdered by police in my neighborhood. We are at a place where we can change safety in our city and having this amendment on the ballot in November will give residents a chance to have conversations about what safety in our community looks like.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 9:56:15 AM

I support that the proposed amendment to the City Charter be referred to voters in November 2020. Give Minneapolis residents the space to create non-violent, community-led health and safety strategies for all.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 9:56:20 AM

The initiative to remove the Police Department from the Charter is a significant distraction from larger challenges is inequalities in our community. This discussion needs to be greater and richer. Much more strategic.

Adding to the police reform discussion, the City Council must move to the top of its agenda closing the opportunity gap in our City - one of, if not the largest, in the country. This is the time as council after council since the 90's if not much much earlier has known this and done very little. The Governor is on board, major corporations, the community,.... all are expressing desire to help.Now's the time to leverage this to accomplish this. The action needs to be bold and swift. We can accomplish this via partnerships with accomplished organizations today - public private - with the know how to scale and tackle this problem that has been in front of us for so many years. 1) Massive increase in our funding for affordable housing using facts and data to determine the funding need, location and delivery model (accomplish this in partnership with Hennepin County and the State). 2) Jobs creation for those experiencing the opportunity gap - the business community has said they are on board so lean on them to make it happen. 3) Community support for healthy families. We have countless non-profits with the know how to advance this. We need a coordinated effort. Thanks,

Ward 13

7/21/2020 9:59:08 AM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than policing, we can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way. I support moving assets from the MPD to community based organizations that can help with housing, mental health care, and domestic violence interventions.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 10:00:30 AM

I am OPPOSED to the Minneapolis City Council action to amend the Minneapolis City Charter. They are not prepared with a plan to replace the police department. This is a dangerous situation to put the citizens of Minneapolis.

I ask that you OPPOSE the Minneapolis City Council as well.

Thank you for your consideration and please OPPOSE this amendment.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 10:08:11 AM

We cannot wait another year to begin making progress towards transforming public safety. The economic fall out from COVID-19 and the George Floyd protests is going to be immense. The city needs more flexibility in how they allocate resources towards public safety in order to meet the rising challenges of homelessness, and poverty in our communities. We cannot continue to criminalize all forms of hardship. We cannot make everyone in our community safe if our Charter requires a set number of officers or a set budget. We need to get creative and have the flexibility to hire the right people for the right jobs and not be forced into supporting law enforcements agenda. We the people decide how to use our tax dollars, not the Charter commission or the police union.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 10:08:35 AM

I oppose putting the charter amendment on the November ballot. There are lots of best practices and examples from other cities of successful reform of policing practices - the City Council and mayor should study these and make a clear, specific proposal for reform that we residents can consider. Take the time, do the work first and bring us along. This needs to be done right, not rushed and addressed with vague slogans like defund the police.

7/21/2020 10:08:51 AM

Dear Charter Commission.

Almost 15 years ago I witnessed the police shooting of Dominic Felder, a young Black man. This man was suffering a mental health crisis and his (Black) family called 911 for help. Help did not arrive until hours later. In the meantime, he began acting erratically in our yard. Our (white) family was frightened, and we called 911 for help. The police responded to our (white) call quickly, just minutes before the mental health unit arrived. Dominic Felder was shot to death instead of receiving the help he and his family needed.

The next morning his mother sang and prayed and wailed her grief in my front yard until she lost her voice. I sat in my house holding my infant son, knowing for the first time that every mother of a Black child fears every day that their child will be killed by police, while I and all the mothers of white children will never have to face that fear.

At that time I was the only white person I knew who understood that calling 911 put Black people in mortal danger. We should have known. BIPOC had been telling white folks for years, but now with the advent of cell phone video, all of us know. We cannot continue to look away.

I grieve to see yet another unarmed Black person murdered by police, but this murder is just one act of violence committed by an institution that terrorizes BIPOC every day. It is unfortunate that massive protests, fires, smashed windows, and looting were necessary to shake so many white folks awake and to spur meaningful action to defund police. We will no longer accept empty gestures and suggestions of reform.

We know that police do not serve and protect BIPOC. We also know that the suburbs somehow manage to be “safe” (for white folks anyway) without a militarized police presence. That safety comes from communities rich with resources such as quality schools, well-kept parks, access to health care, and generally low levels of poverty. We need to serve and protect majority BIPOC communities by defunding the police and shifting those resources to programs that address the wellbeing of communities that have been systematically and INTENTIONALLY starved of resources.

Right now these changes are not possible because of the constraints in the City’s Charter. We need to eliminate these constraints now and get started right away with creating a new community safety and violence prevention department. The uprising demonstrated the urgency for change, give the voters a chance to decide how to move forward. Put the charter amendment on the ballot.

Ward 8

7/21/2020 10:11:40 AM

I am writing to ask that the City Council support the proposed charter to enact a Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention. We should be investing in a better way of handling the problems that face the citizens of Minneapolis. The police are an expensive, armed and reactive measure that can no longer be expected to be the proactive solution to issues that face the city. It is a broken system.

We need a forward thinking vision of how we can address housing and homelessness, mental health, addiction services, systemic racism, jobs and education, etc. We need to spend our money on programs that help those in need and prevention of those problems to begin with.

We are living in an amazing time where the citizens of our city are ready for this change. We should limit the number of city employees who are armed and ready for a fight to just the small amount we might need to address violent situations. We need to employ caring, trained and supported mental health workers, addiction counselors, educators, housing specialists, crisis interventionists and violence prevention officers who will make this city a better place to live for all.

Please do what is right and take this hopeful step into the future.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 10:17:24 AM

The uprising was a referendum on the police department, even if it didn’t take place in City Hall. Thousands of us took to the street; now the Charter Commission must do its job and let the community decide at the ballot box. We can’t wait another year.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 10:18:46 AM

Please put the charter amendment on the ballot as this is very important to the future of our city.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 10:20:15 AM

I oppose the prososed Public Safety Ammendment and ask that you oppose it as well. I believe starting changes at the 3rd precinct and see what works there and what doesn't, rather than changing the whole city at once and hope for the best.

Ward 5

7/21/2020 10:24:20 AM

I support the charter commission moving the language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. I believe the people of Minneapolis are creative, resound, and compassionate. The police are not serving or protecting ALL of our citizens, and we deserve the space to create something that truly encompasses community and personal safety.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 10:27:00 AM

I oppose the Minneapolis City Council action to amend the Minneapolis City Charter. This Charter amendment is a distraction from critically needed action. We do NOT need eleven bosses!

Ward 5

7/21/2020 10:29:01 AM

After marching, we arrive at the 3rd Precinct at East Lake St and Minnehaha Ave. BLM organizers begin howling into the megaphone about demands, with a few prayers and droning chants mixed in. I notice someone slowly creeping up behind me who starts bangin’ his fist on the window. Concerned it will break, three bystanders begin quietly shaming him “this ain’t the place for that, keep it peaceful!”. The person responds back quietly but with angry tension in his voice “that’s the fuckin’ problem, y’all muthafuckas never wanna do shit except march and chant...”. Discouraged, he starts to walk away. “I’m with you on that shit fo real tho” I tell him. “That’s what’s up – fuck all this other shit” he responds while walking away. A minute or so later, I lose my patience for listening to BLM talk about being peaceful and decide to go look for that same individual again. I round the corner to the back of the police station and notice a commotion. A group of about 5–7 ‘black’ folks are blocking the back glass doors of the police station, arguing with a group of about 20 ‘black’ and ‘brown’ angry youth – including the one from earlier. Unable to contain my own frustration I get caught up arguing with the police-defenders as well. Finally, in the middle of the shouting a couple of ‘black’ and ‘brown’ youth begin spray painting “fuck 12” near the commotion. Cheers behind me erupt from a crowd that has now tripled in size. A brawl breaks out near the doors, and then a single rock smashes through the precinct window and is immediately followed by a hail storm of rocks, street cones, water bottles, and anything else within reach. The group of 5–7 ‘black’ pacifists cry out in desperation to stop the destruction, going as far as attempting to physically detain people, but ultimately are overwhelmed. They try to collect the rocks after being thrown and find themselves in multiple physical confrontations while doing so. People from the front of the building run over and join in on the vandalism. Eventually after every window is smashed the crowd moves toward the police parking lot and begin damaging police cars. I finally pause to catch a breath when I hear a stun grenade go off. The police run out from another door and begin shooting rubber bullets and tear gas. The crowd disperses but with hysterical laughs of joy and accomplishment. The 3rd Precinct is in ruins — and little did I know this was all just the beginning. The very next day a bigger crowd of mostly ‘black’ and ‘brown’ youth showed up and continued to wage war on the 3rd Precinct. By night, a three mile radius was liberated from police control by the people on those streets. The 3rd Precinct was breached and taken over. Police abandoned the area all together. Their building was looted and cop cars driven into the street and set on fire. A Target across the parking lot was broken into and looted along with other stores nearby. People celebrated the victory by shooting off their guns in the air. Strangers sang and danced around burned out cop cars, exchanged high-fives in passing, and shared looted food. People casually socialized in front of burning buildings while others threw rocks through the remains of store front windows for target practice.

While it might have seemed like a perfect utopia, it wasn’t divorced from reality. Fights broke out between small factions of people and long-awaited personal conflicts were solved in the now cop-free streets. Business owners shot and killed looters and low-income housing units burned to the ground. But this is the difference between the textbook, sugar-coated ideologies of politics and raw, unmediated rage. The revolt didn’t happen due to any teachings of Mao or religious messages from a god. The fires, looting, and attacks against police didn’t need Marxism, a transcript of The Coming Insurrection, or an academic course on the history of anarchism. All that was needed was the chaotic expression of rage against representations of authority.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 10:29:57 AM

As expected, many people on the internet – including many self-proclaimed anarchists — passed judgement on the situation – most often coming from an ideological position that placed value in uniformity and a narrowed range of “acceptable” forms of revolt. In my experience, uprisings like this flourish best when least controlled or organized. The more that expressions of anger are controlled and organized the less anarchistic they become — essentially becoming pacified to accommodate a particular political vision. For me that is undesirable and also unrealistic. Destruction is destruction, violence will be violence, and to expect an uprising to be anything less is naive at best. While some can sit on the sidelines and moralize specific tactics or forms of emotional expression, they disregard the reality that full-fledged warfare has no inherent morality. Businesses that were boarded up and declared “black owned” weren’t spared by any moral consideration; they too were broken into, looted, and subsequently burned to the ground.

Also, in my opinion, the more uncontrollable and unmanageable an uprising remains, the less likely the police will have the ability to adapt to its formation and dominate it. The police had the least control over hundreds of individuals rebelling in such a chaotic manner as to overwhelm them and send them fleeing.

Over the next few days, attacks against the 5th Precinct happened while liberals, pacifists, and identity politicians quietly crawled back to avenge their loss and inability to control the first riot. The internet became their ground zero for one of the worst campaigns of lies and fear mongering I have personally ever seen.

As the victories of burning cop cars and police stations circulated online from all over the states, liberals rushed to the scenes in a desperate authoritarian attempt to assert their ideological morality and political program. They insist on a narrative that labels anyone who engages in sabotage as a “white supremacist” or “undercover cop” “infiltrating” the uprising.

Many of these liberals are the same ‘black’ people who failed to stop ‘black’ and ‘brown’ rebels from looting and destroying property. They failed to convince all ‘white’ people to evacuate the riots (because even some ‘white’ people knew not all ‘black’ or ‘brown’ people have a problem with them being there – recognizing their value as accomplices). And in an effort to preserve capitalist, reformist values, liberals of all races sought to halt the looting and vandalism by bombarding social media with blatantly false information. This false information is riddled with catch phrases like “outside agitators” and “white supremacists” in order to emotionally motivate readers to chose a side within a false dichotomy. And those who are not physically on the streets or there with rebels battling police are the target audience of these narrowed, inaccurate representations of reality.

Different ideological motives create different interpretations of events. And since liberals and pacifists tend to dominate social media more than those who are too busy out in the streets, they have an advantage. And since liberals morally frame all people of color as obedient, victimist heroes, most people have difficulty admitting that people of color are capable of destroying property and participating in violent forms of protest. This also plays into the compulsion to blame ‘white’ people for forms of rebellion considered morally undesirable. Riots/uprisings are not all utopian and pretty. They are the dangerous elements of liberation that occur when all other options have failed. Whether people are afraid of violence or not won’t change the fact that police kill, and will continue to kill as long as the concept of law enforcement exists. In my opinion there is no “bettering” the police, and there is no “justice” when someone is already being buried six feet deep.

And the police are not all ‘white’. ‘Black’ cops kill ‘black’ peo

Ward 9

7/21/2020 10:30:17 AM

And the police are not all ‘white’. ‘Black’ cops kill ‘black’ people too.

The worst part about the online interpretation of events is that the people spreading this misinformation fail to communicate to the online-world the joy, smiles, singing and dancing of racially diverse rebels as they celebrated the destruction of the 3rd Precinct.

I mean shit, imagine being a person of color, harassed by police all your life, and then a day and night comes when you actually get to see a police station burning, and police completely abandoning the area. All this is erased from history when liberals credit it all to a group of people — white supremacists — who didn’t exist in those battles in the first place.

To this day as I write this, there are still people spreading conspiracy theories on the internet like the famous “brick bait” video of cops unloading bricks (behind their own building – not in an alley as originally propagated). While I can’t say for absolute certainty that there were no white supremacists at the events at all (I mean I saw some driving past in pickup trucks yellin’ white power shit, and the ‘brown’ dude who rolled up in a truck rockin’ pro-police slogans and a confederate flag) I sure as hell didn’t see any in the battles. I have seen pictures of ‘black’ people locking arms to protect riot police, white allies turning other ‘white’ people over to the police in the name of ‘black’ support, and ultimately police regaining control and using these pacifying efforts to brutalize peaceful protesters.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 10:38:04 AM

The people of Minneapolis have voiced their thoughts about the police through weeks of protests and activism. You need to listen to your people. We are calling for real, immediate, and effective change to protect ourselves and the ones we love because the current system sure as hell isn't doing it.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 10:38:25 AM

As a resident and voter in Minneapolis, I urge the Charter Commission put the City Council's amendment on the November ballot without alteration. We, the people elected the city council. We did not elect the Charter Commission. We, the people, filled the streets in June to demand decisive action of our City Council. We, the people, deserve to have our voice heard on this issue in November, to determine the path of our own city without interference from un-elected officials such as the Charter Commission.

Do not stifle the voice and the will of the people. Put the amendment in its current form on the November ballot, and let us decide.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 10:41:01 AM

I strongly oppose the proposed amendment to the City Charter and putting it to a public vote until there is a plan and a vision of what our public safety should look like.

Ward 5

7/21/2020 10:41:33 AM

Dear Commissioners;

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I am white, a homeowner, and voter in the 12th ward.

As a nursing student, I wish to speak to the relationship between policing, racism, and public health. In public health, social determinants of health are the forces in the environment where people are "born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age" that impact an individual and population's health, level of functioning, and quality-of-life (CDC, 2020). A person's access to fresh fruits and vegetables, living in a community close to a coal-plant or other polluter, quality of education, access to living wage jobs, access to transportation, and neighborhood safety are just a few examples of the conditions in which individuals' health outcomes or risks are mitigated or exacerbated.

Policing and police violence, too, are social determinants of health. According to the American Public Health Association (2018), "physical and psychological violence that is structurally mediated by the system of law enforcement results in deaths, injuries, trauma, and stress that disproportionately affects marginalized populations (e.g. people of color; immigrants; individuals experiencing houselessness; people with disabilities; the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer [LGBTQ] community; individuals with mental illness; people who use drugs; and sex workers). And, in fact, police force is the sixth-leading cause of death for young black men, at a rate of 2.5 times more than white men, a fact that is unconscionable in 2020 (Edwards et al., 2018).

Recently, the Minneapolis City Council passed a resolution decrying racism as a public health crisis: without meaningful action, these words will ring hollow. I call on you to take action now and amend the city charter to remove the Police Department and create a new department of community safety and violence prevention, and allow the people to vote.

Thank you for your time.

Resources:

American Public Health Association. (2018). Addressing law enforcement violence as a public health issue. https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy- database/2019/01/29/law-enforcement-violence

Center for Disease Control (CDC). (2020). Healthy People 2020: social determinants of health. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health

Edwards, F; Lee, H.; & Esposito, M. (2018). Risk of being killed by police force in the United States by age, race-ethnicity, and sex. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/116/34/16793.full.pdf

Ward 12

7/21/2020 10:42:35 AM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxx and I live in Ward 12.

I support amending the Minneapolis City Charter.

I moved to Minneapolis for work nearly ten years ago, fell in love with the city, and bought a home in South Minneapolis.

I have felt safe and welcomed in Minneapolis, and have been dismayed to learn that not all of my neighbors and friends are able to feel the same way.

It isn’t right that residents of the same city should have such drastically different experiences with the police. It is clear that reforms have not been effective; had they been, George Floyd and so many others would still be alive. We need and deserve a public safety system that truly serves and protects everyone. The first step towards building that is simply allowing us to vote on amending the City Charter.

Commissioners, I urge you—do not delay Democracy. Let us vote on the charter amendment this November.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 10:42:44 AM

I oppose the Minneapolis City Council action to amend the Minneapolis City Charter (Council action "Amending Article VII of the City Charter). I offer you the following reasons for opposing the Minneapolis City Council action to amend the Minneapolis City Charter.

The proposed charter change:

1. Eliminates the police department without NO REPLACEMENT. Right now the Council does not have a plan. It only promises to develop the plan and how to implement it in the future.

This is a major change to our city government and should not be rushed. We need the Charter Commission to have a thorough, robust, inclusive public assessment prior to a vote of the electorate. The people must know what public safety and law enforcement functions will be provided by the city. Striving to eliminate structural racism must have prompt action; reforming our police dept must have prompt action; addressing our societal needs of housing, education, health care, mental health, the environment must have prompt action; NOT this Charter Change.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 10:42:59 AM

I believe wholeheartedly in reforming the police department. I do not believe that the elimination of the police department, especially without a fully thought out replacement plan already in place, is prudent or in the best interests of the residents of the city. Focus on reform, not rebuilding from scratch.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 10:44:23 AM

The Minneapolis City Council’s push to change the city’s constitution is rushed, lacks details and subverts established processes. The Council’s poorly planned and reactionary attempt to change the constitution will not allow thoughtful, careful consideration and community input.

The Minneapolis Police Department has a poisonous culture that must be changed and its structure must be overhauled. We cannot allow this important effort to be mismanaged by the City Council. Please do not allow them to ram their proposal down the city’s throat. Follow the established process to allow for community input, consideration and buy-in.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 10:44:35 AM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis Ward 7. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am asking the Charter Commission to let citizens vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters should have a role in the future of public safety in our city.

Ward 7

7/21/2020 10:50:18 AM

Please move the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. Give the people of Minneapolis the opportunity to create something better than policing, we can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way.

Ward 8

7/21/2020 10:51:22 AM

I support the efforts of coming up with something different. The current way that we do policing is not working in many ways. Even the main purpose, public safety, seems like an after thought. The police are required to deal with too many public services such as dealing with individuals with mental illnesses, the homeless, etc..which they are ill equipped to handle and that they didn't sign up for. I think that it's important to stop this militaristic approach to dealing with public safety and have a clear mandate as to what the scope of their service to the community is.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 10:51:52 AM

Ward 2

7/21/2020 11:06:59 AM

Justice cannot wait!! As a public high school teacher, I see the racism and injustice my students of color face in our communities. We need to start this big work right away, and immediately start the process of ending racist policing systems and moving to new, just models of public and community safety.

Ward 6

7/21/2020 11:08:41 AM

Hello all,

As a resident of Minneapolis, and an advocate for liberation, I am writing to all of you regarding your decision on taking the Minneapolis Police Department off the charter.

I urge you to decide to take MPD off the charter so that it can make it into the November ballot. The way I see it, a delay in your decision is a delay in ensuring black lives stay alive and are able to continue to reside in this city.

As a commission that serves Minneapolis, I hope you commit to serving EVERYONE that lives here by letting us vote. This includes following the actions asked from your community to dismantle an organized institution(MPD) that attacks and kills our residents every day.

If you do not vote to take MPD off the charter, you will continue to uphold white supremacy and racist systems that keep people in our city in fear.

As a commission that is primarily white, I urge you to act as an ally and recognize that this is a topic that you do not know better. Let Minneapolis vote!

I am open to having conversations with members of this commissions to further discuss the urgency of your vote.

Thank you.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 11:13:50 AM

As a resident of Minneapolis, I do NOT agree with changing the city charter especially at this time of increased crime within the city. Perhaps Defunding City Council and reducing the its size and using some of those funds for additional programs is the direction we should take.

I've reviewed the 2020 budget for City Council and there is ample funds that could be redistributed.

I like many of my neighbors are concerned with the lack of a plan. Perhaps the plan should be detailed and then the Charter amended. Putting the cart before the horse is very distrubing.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 11:19:02 AM

As a teacher we must do are part for our students to feel safe in our schools. Our students are fearful seeing a police officer with a badge and gun because they unfairly kill or unfairly imprison members of the community based on the color of there skin. Not to mention educators are getting not getting enough funds allocated to them because of an uneven distribution of funds towards the Minneapolis Police Department. We can make history if we can this right and promote positive change throughout Minneapolis. Defund the police, spread the wealth and empower communities to not live in fear anymore.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 11:20:33 AM

I urge the Charter Commission to approve the proposed amendment on public safety to a public referendum. The Charter Commission is an unelected body and should not stand in the way of a democratic process. Let the people of this city decide what safety feels like to us. - xxxxxxxxx, Whittier

Ward 10

7/21/2020 11:25:42 AM

I oppose the proposed Public Safety amendment. It is a major change to our city government and should not be rushed. We need the Charter Commission to have a thorough, robust, inclusive public assessment prior to a vote of the electorate. The people must know what public safety and law enforcement functions will be provided by the city. Striving to eliminate structural racism must have prompt action; reforming our police department must have prompt action; addressing our societal needs of housing, education, health care, mental health, the environment must have prompt action. Not this Charter change.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 11:28:27 AM

When one approach has consistently failed, it is time to step off of that treadmill. Policing does not bring longterm benefit for the community. Let the people of Minneapolis decide how they feel most safe. I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 11:29:10 AM

I urge the Commission to approve the Public Safety Charter Amendment to move to the 2020 Fall ballot. The issue is urgent and deserving of a public vote THIS YEAR!

Ward 9

7/21/2020 11:34:33 AM

The new title is limiting. Does this mean that the City will not longer address property crimes?

Ward 13

7/21/2020 11:35:56 AM

I am standing with my neighbors across the city and writing in support of amending our City Charter. I’m a 50 year old white woman who lives on the west side of the lakes and I know that I am supposed to be afraid of some armed other, coming into my building, intent on harm. I am not. As far as I’m concerned, the armed other has a badge and wears MPD insignia. The only woman I know of who was shot and killed in my neck of the woods was done so at the hands of a frightened officer. They are trained to be frightened of our community and then handed a gun and sent out to patrol.

This movement isn't coming from the politicians. It is coming from the residents who voted out everyone who was in office when Philando Castile was murdered. We pushed and got body cameras. We got bias training. We even tried community policing. We voted in reform minded politicians. We have tried everything and George Floyd was still murdered in broad daylight on the street. Changing the charter isn’t our first attempt at reform. It is what the Police Federation, in their arrogance, has brought us to.

Now that we’re here, I am actually excited for the possibilities. I know that there are critiques that the charter amendment is not specific enough but I like the freedom it provides. Right now we are bound by the very specific language of our current charter and I am in favor of loosening those restraints so that we can move ahead with the needs of our neighborhoods as they exist now and moving forward into the future.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 11:36:15 AM

It is long past time the current public safety structure was dismantled. While it is undeniable that sometimes you need an aggressive response to an aggressive threat, that needs to be the process, rather than instigating aggression in response to a nonviolent situation (cf George Floyd). Law enforcement agencies in other countries are able to perform their duties with far less violence. Minneapolis has an opportunity here to be an example, a leader, by (a) removing duties not specifically related to law enforcement from armed officers, and (b) using the money thus saved for preventative measures. I will vote "yes" to the proposed charter amendment when it comes up for a vote.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 11:43:35 AM

I have read over the proposed revisions to the charter. In general, I support the notion of making policing only part of a bigger focus on public safety, and I favor putting a proposal on the ballot directly.

I have some concerns about the proposal I reviewed however:

It seems unclear about how this new department of public safety will be governed. The previous charter made it clear that the Mayor was to be responsible for controlling the police department. This new proposal is not clear about who will control the Public Safety department. A murky chain of command seems bad. I favor having the Mayor be in overall control: the City Council is too diffuse for this role.

I do not favor allowing the Public Safety director post to be vacant for 90 days, as the new proposal suggests.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 11:48:36 AM

I live in North Loop adjacent to a Holiday Station that has a frequent police presence. Despite that, there is no value in having a strong presence there nor does it make my experience in my neighborhood any better or feel more secure. I have lived in Minneapolis for four years and I have been privileged in my experiences here in not having any direct interaction with police despite being a person of color. But with multiple incidents of police brutality and murder, the responses in favor of reform while maintaining the existing structures of enforcement clearly do not work and will not work out. Considering that the vast majority of the police force in the City of Minneapolis is from outside of the city and repeated examples of police officers disobeying or disregarding the previous attempts at reform, anything short of a substantial reduction or complete dismantlement of the MPD will not achieve any means of promoting a safer city for all residents or address any systemic issues of racism and privilege that exists anywhere. I support having a referendum in updating the City Charter and it will be a critical first step in showing that the City of Minneapolis is ready to substantially address the systemic issues that continue to exist and moving on from a police force that does not effectively protect nor serve the citizens of Minneapolis.

Ward 5

7/21/2020 11:50:23 AM

I have heard the Charter Commissions complain the City Council is trying to rush this amendment through and voters will not understand it by Election Day. I have worked on political campaigns from the local to presidential level for the past 15 years, nine of them in political advertising. In most campaigns, we advertise for a maximum of 6-9 weeks. In many cases, especially city races, we may only advertise for 2-3. The City Council has been making their case for why they need to change the charter for six weeks already while the Mayor has been arguing against it. Election Day is 15 weeks from today. The voters of Minneapolis will have heard about the cases for and against this amendment for 17 weeks by the time the early voting period begins. This is longer than the election cycles in many other countries and plenty of time for voters to make up their minds. We have already heard more information about this ballot measure than we hear about most measures in most other election years. Let us decide in 2020 whether or not we agree with the City Council that this amendment is necessary. I believe it is -- those that oppose this amendment have just as much time to convince me as those who support it. The Charter Commission underestimates the voters of Minneapolis if they think we do not understand it.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 11:54:29 AM

It is important that the commission approve this proposed amendment. The police department in its existing form is detrimental to the City of Minneapolis and this is an important first step in reform which will make the city safer for all residents. The MPD has cost the taxpayers of Minneapolis tens of millions of dollars in settlements because of their training and the MPD Federation’s control of the department. The department will only continue to be a costly burden in dollars and human life on the city if this amendment is not undertaken.

Ward 8

7/21/2020 12:03:08 PM

Hello --

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx, and I am a born and raised resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from the Minneapolis Police Department and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the community vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us all safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to truly feel safe and thrive.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 12:05:37 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx and I live in Ward 6.

I support amending the Minneapolis city charter.

I’ve lived in Minnesota my whole life, the Twin Cities over half of it. I love this state and the people and places in it. I sing its praises to out of towners. This is my home.

Six years ago I moved to Minneapolis after living up north for nearly 20 years. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I’d never lived in the city before, and as a suburbanite growing up, I’d heard tales.

Nothing could’ve prepared me for how much I’d end up loving living here. How much city life would help to change my whole world, and with it, myself. This beautiful city has represented opportunity and hope for me, when once I thought I had neither.

Sadly, this isn’t the case for everyone. There is a large percentage of our population whose experiences couldn’t be any more different than mine. People who don’t even feel safe calling those who are meant to protect and serve them. Because of the color of their skin. Because of where they live and who they are. It is a mar on our city’s reputation and prevents us from becoming someplace truly welcoming and free.

One of the reasons I love this state is our historically strong voter turnout. We are consistently in the top three, if not number one, election after election. We, the residents of Minneapolis, deserve the opportunity to have our voices heard in this matter. We deserve the opportunity to vote on it.

Ward 6 7/21/2020 12:07:01 PM

1) I would prefer that the charter commission not comment on this proposal and require any changes be fully laid out for the public to look over before the charter is amended. We should not allow this to go to a vote before we fully know and understand the repercussions of a "YES" vote.

2) If changes are made, as a taxpayer and homeowner I want the wording changed to "MUST" not "MAY" in Proposed amendment 7.3(b) Division of Law Enforcement Services. The Council *may maintain a division of law enforcement services,

composed of licensed peace officers, subject to the supervision of the department of community safety and

violence prevention.

Ward 8

7/21/2020 12:29:58 PM

The police and chief need to stay. Arbitration should not be final. The chief needs to be able to fire the bad cops.

There are many more good cops than bad and now they feel everyone hates them. They should be encouraged instead of bashed.

The members of the city council that want to defund the police seem to have no common sense!

Ward 3

7/21/2020 12:32:37 PM

I support the city charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to the ballot vote in November. Let the people of Minneapolis have a say in the crafting of a new public safety experience in our city. Please don't let the charter get in the way of crafting a new vision for Minneapolis.

Ward 8

7/21/2020 12:33:49 PM

Let the chief do his job and fire the cops that are as bad as Chauven.

We need the police and we should thank them for their service. They have a crappy and scary job protecting Minneapolis residents.

Ward 7

7/21/2020 12:34:35 PM

I am a resident of Ward 10 and I am enthusiastically in favor of changing the charter. The actions of police towards protesters after the death of George Floyd have proven that the police do not exist to protect us. They see their own citizens as dangerous. They have lost trust with public and I do not see how they can safely and effectively govern. I am scared for my friends who are queer or non-binary. I am scared for my brother who is autistic. Police do not have the proper training to safely handle its citizens who are not neurotypical and people with a disability are more likely to experience police brutality. Furthermore, after much research we can conclude that better solutions than policing exist for issues such as substance abuse, housing, sex worker vulnerability, gang violence, etc. These solutions are cost effective, record better outcomes, and Build safer communities.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 12:35:20 PM

Thank you for all the work you do on behalf of our community!

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/21/2020 12:44:17 PM

I ask the charter commission put the proposed amendment to the City Charter on the ballot in November. The issue of policing is urgent— we have waited too long. Let the people vote! We need to transform public safety, and we can't let that process be hampered by the City Charter.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 12:44:30 PM

Dear Council Members,

Thank you for your service and for hearing and listening to the comments of your constituents during this extremely important time in our city's history.

I have been a resident of Minneapolis for 12 years. I have worked in a variety of bars and restaurants that have utilized the services of the Minneapolis Police Department. I have also served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where the MPD has previously played an integral role in the function of that institution.

Based on my experience with the MPD in these capacities, I am writing in support of the proposed action to put the issue of amending the city charter to create a Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department before voters in November.

As a restaurant manager, I have made many calls to the MPD on account of unruly patrons and theft of valuables from cars in the restaurant parking lot. Officers rarely arrive in time to assist in handling these patrons. Moreover, the department provided little if any follow up to businesses or individuals affected in these circumstances. I and my staff members had to intervene in unsafe situations and provide avenues for guest follow up. We need a more versatile department that has the capacity to provide the services the community actually requires instead of a blanket organization tasked with far too many responsibilities. The current structure fails all of our community members, but most especially, those at the greatest risk for harm. This is unacceptable to me as a longtime Minneapolis resident. We can, and must, do better for our citizens. As a Professor of Race, Gender, and Media I am acutely aware of the harm perpetrated on communities of color, women, and those with non-binary gender identities by the current policing system. This system does not protect and serve these communities. It undermines their importance in our city. It disproportionately arrests, incarcerates, and kills them. It causes absolutely terrible mental and physical trauma--not only for those directly affected, but for their families, their neighborhoods, and their communities. A city that perpetuates these types of violence is not one I am proud to live in.

This issue is systemic. This issue is not going away until we, the residents of Minneapolis, get a choice in and a chance to completely reestablish what public safety means and represents for US. We have an opportunity in this current moment to create a new path forward for community safety that does not vilify and directly harm people of color or others considered outside of the mainstream. We cannot continue putting money, resources, and time into an institution that routinely fails its citizens. Let us vote.

Thank you for your time,

Ward 1

7/21/2020 12:57:29 PM

I support the charter commission letting the citizens of Minneapolis vote on defunding the MPD. There's no reason not to let us vote on this. Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than policing, we can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way.

Ward 8

7/21/2020 1:05:15 PM

I am strongly against having the city council's proposed charter amendment to dissolve the requirement for a Minneapolis police force and to replace it with a "community safety department" that may or may not include licensed police officers under it to be put up for vote in the upcoming November election. The city council is asking the citizens of Minneapolis to give them the power to do whatever they want without having to provide any details about what they are then going to do with that power. This seems to me to be putting the cart before the horse. I know that the city council is arguing that they need the flexibility that their charter amendment would provide to do as they see fit to the police department before they would reveal their plans. But that is backwards. They need to provide a detailed plan as to how they would use that power before they ask to be given that power. So far they have provided absolutely no plan that I am aware of. Until they do so, the citizens should not be asked to vote to give them this power.

Ward 11

7/21/2020 1:07:21 PM

July 21, 2020

Distinguished City Council Members,

I would like to register a voice at this time against amending the Charter. There is no doubt we need significant police reform including consistent discipline for bad behavior, but we truly need a method of policing. In my 26 years leasing/managing tall towers DT including City Center and IDS, we have relied on the MPD. In the riots after George Floyd’s death, City Center sustained over $100,000 of damage. Fortunately the swift responsible actions of the 1st Precinct prevented serious looting and fire which would have multiplied the damage and threaten personal injury.

Further, the City Council’s voice is perceived as anti-safety. Meanwhile violence is spiking. This voice and the headlines have slammed shut demand for downtown office and retail space. Prospective tenants are cancelling DT searches and instead are looking for space in the suburbs, reversing a strong trend. In fact, many existing DT office and retail tenants are considering vacating. This will erode our tax base and have dire consequences for DT viability.

Clearly our City is in the national spotlight and the problems facing the MPD need to be addressed. Violent crime, homelessness and calls for mental health crisis need different responses. I support a deep study of policing with representatives from all stakeholder groups to form a plan. Then the electorate can vote. Much like our industry applies for building permits, plans are part of the submittal. Voting for a charter change with good ideas but no formal plan, is like applying for a permit without a plan.

I am confident our City has the stakeholders. I urge you to be up front and transparent with your plan to reform, protect and serve. This will go a long way in easing the anxiety of people living, working and enjoying DT. I appreciate your partnership in this precedent setting endeavor.

Thank you

7/21/2020 1:07:52 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. While I trust and believe our city and its citizens need good police men and women, there has also been over-policing, the militarization of police by supplying heavy-duty weapons where few are needed, and, historically, a blind eye that has been turned to communities of color who are overrepresented in arrests and charges but underserved by our social services. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, including how our taxpayer dollars are invested in the right mix of policing vs. social services, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 1:27:14 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxx. My wife, 2 yr. old daughter, and I live in Minneapolis across from Hiawatha Park (28th Ave. South - district 12). We are very concerned about the City Council's proposed amendment to the city charter to remove the Police Department from the charter and replace it with a "holistic community safety and violence prevention department". We strongly implore you to deny this amendment request until the City Council presents a more detailed and thoughtful proposal of what this new department could look like, what it would cost, and most importantly how it will create a safer, more orderly city.

Giving them approval to add this to the November ballot without a thoughtful and researched outline for what comes if it's (Godforbid) passed would only embolden criminals more than they already are, as indicated by the recent crime wave plaguing Minneapolis.

While I am strongly for reform, increased transparency, and harsher punishments for bad actors within the police department, disbanding the force and replacing it with the undetailed proposal that's been dreamed up by the current City Council is nothing more than a whimsical wish for peace and order, without a concrete plan to achieve law and order - the people of Minneapolis deserve more.

I appreciate your consideration and welcome follow-up if I can provide any additional thoughts or feedback.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 1:27:19 PM hello,

I am a 15 year resident of Minneapolis, a U of M graduate, a recovered drug addict, and a passionate activist for justice and improving peoples lives.

I have seen the disproportionate damage done at the hands of the police via the drug war. Ive had my home raided by the MPD, throwing my possessions everywhere, destroying my home, without evidence of their charge, and without getting my property back. Ive had precinct 4 detectives push me to work for them, even though I was working to get clean and stay away from the drug scene, and push to put me in danger and admit they would not protect me. the police promote violence and division. the police are not a trusted institution and they do not help keep most citizens safe. they exacerbate violence and fuel tensions. i would like to see our city develop a new method of protecting ourselves that rejects drug war tactics, that screens and provides support for mental health, that dispatches social workers rather than armed soldiers. very few situations require a gun. most situations require conflict de-escalation which current police have failed at. id like to be part of a city that cares about outcomes more than short term terror based punishment. please be brave and allow mpls to lead by example and show the country we can do better.

Ward 4

7/21/2020 1:29:10 PM

I am a longtime resident of East Harriet neighborhood, with a strong commitment to working toward justice for all in our city, state and nation. There is no question that we need major police reform, and we need it now. But I believe the City Council's proposed amendment to the charter is rushed and misguided and, in the long run, will do more harm than good. I urge you NOT to place that amendment on the November ballot. Leaders of our city should get thoughtful input from all stakeholders in the community and come up with a clear plan before trying to pass a charter amendment, if indeed that is even warranted after careful study. The city also should work closely with leaders of our state so that the culture and policies of all law enforcement agencies, as well as crime prevention, mental health, youth development and other relevant organizations are guided by and grounded in core values and principles of respect and justice for all our citizens. This is a time for collective reflection and thoughtful action, not a hasty decision that risks "throwing the baby out with the bathwater."

Ward 13

7/21/2020 1:33:28 PM

While the call to eliminate the police department as now constituted provides support for those who desperately hope for change, the charter amendment proposed by the City Council is not the best way to achieve change. There is a broad consensus for reform, which could be built on to achieve significant and lasting change in policing while recognizing that safety and security are goals valued by the community as well. Working within the current charter does not prevent that reform. And experience argues for having the police department report to the mayor and not to the mayor and 13 council members. Such diluted authority would not serve our city well. Thank you to the members of the Charter Commission for your thoughtful leadership. Linda Mack

Ward 7

7/21/2020 1:37:24 PM

The Charter should not be amended until there is a public safety solution, clearly outlined, that shows we in fact need the charter to be amended in order for it to operate.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 1:44:12 PM

I strongly oppose amending the City Charter to enable potential removal of the MPD. It is not realistically possible to maintain order without a police force. The City Council seems naive and uninformed regarding the realities of everyday law enforcement and why armed conflicts cannot be "talked down" or "counseled" by unarmed civilians alone, especially when drug addictions and/or overdoses are involved. As to the claim that the Charter Commission is unelected and therefore not empowered to make a decision on this: the Commission exists in part to act as gatekeepers and evaluators for the suitability of proposed changes to the Charter, so it is well within your purview.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 1:45:28 PM

I read and approve wholeheartedly the Charter Amendment relating to public safety.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 1:48:39 PM

I believe that the current police department needs to be reformed, but I do NOT agree with it being fully disbanded. I would encourage reforms to include more BIPOC officers, officers required to living within the City of Minneapolis and fewer officers to carry guns. Additionally, the relationship with the Police Union needs to be changed -- the police union should not have the ability to keep "bad" cops on the job. Had these reforms been implemented already, I wonder how many lives could have been saved.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 2:03:21 PM

To the Charter Commission Members.

I am writing to support the amendment to the city charter to allow for our current policing structure to become a Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department. I have no confidence that without such an amendment we, the people of Minneapolis, cannot make the necessary changes to policing need for a 21st century approach to peace keeping.

I have lost confidence in the current structure for several reasons. First, the police force has become increasing militarized. The police union has become a road block to change in defense of a small group of bad actors within the force, and stands in open defiance of enacting necessary change. The issue at hand is an antiquate approach and historic inequities that are perpetuated by department. Good people step up to serve as officers, but a system built upon a foundation of suppression must be discarded to allow for a wholistic approach.

If you choose to reject or simply run out the clock, and do not allow a vote this November you will do the city a disservice. The unelected Charter Commission will be doing nothing short of disenfranchising our right to determination through a lawful vote, in accordance with legislation governing home rule.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 2:04:58 PM

A strong police department is the foundation for a safe and orderly civil society. Social workers and peace officers will not have the authority to stop many law-breaking citizens. What we need is accountable police officers, made evident by the thousands of complaints about officers that have gone undisciplined over the years. We also need to consider ways to diminish the power of the police union. Even so, officers (in their current state) provide a very valuable service to our city. Based on comments to national and local publications on this topic, changing the charter and giving the council broad authority to wipe this service out without a clear and specific plan is largely regarded as senseless. As it stands now, this seems like a grand plan to change the name of the department. No thanks. We pay a personally massive burdensome share of property taxes annually. As such, I expect to feel safe and be protected by capable, fast-responding, and authoritative police officers.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 2:06:29 PM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. The people of Minneapolis need space to create something better for our communities than policing. We have the vision and the ability to make the changes we need but the charter is a barrier to those goals. Thank you. Ward 7

7/21/2020 2:06:47 PM

I am fully in favor of the proposed charter amendment and would ask the Charter Commission to complete its process in time for the amendment to be on the ballot in November 2020. There is an urgency to this change that needs to be acknowledged. Waiting another year will result in a tragic, perhaps fatal, loss of momentum. This is the moment when profound change needs to be initiated. Please do not delay your process. Let the people decide.

Thank you.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 2:16:29 PM

Simple. If the police are disbanded or decreased and this community service initiative is adopted, there will be a fleeing from this city!!!

No police! No Safety!

Ward 4

7/21/2020 2:18:12 PM

Hello,

I support the proposed amendment removing the Police Department from the charter and adding a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department. Please allow the people of Minneapolis to vote on this change to the charter.

Thank you,

Ward 3

7/21/2020 2:19:27 PM

To the Charter Commission Members.

Allow the vote.

Good people step up to serve as officers, but a system built upon a foundation of suppression and racism must be discarded to allow for a wholistic approach to safety without the baggage. The time for internal reform has passed. Current charter requirements place undue restrictions on how we keep the peace, and the police union consistently block attempts at reform. The circumstance at at hand demand transformational change, current and past approaches to reform have failed repeatedly. Historic inequities in treatment of people of color are perpetuated by department regardless of intentions and leadership.

If you choose to reject or simply run out the clock in consideration of the amendment, and do not allow a vote this November you will do the people of this city a disservice. You, and unelected commission, will be doing nothing short of disenfranchising our right to determination through a lawful vote, in accordance with the legislation governing home rule.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 2:38:19 PM

In response to the proposed charter amendment that would allow defunding the police department, it is my opinion that at the very least it is way too soon to be talking about making such a radical change. The State hasn’t completed its investigation of the Minneapolis police and the 4 police officers that have been charged have not yet been tried. There will most likely be recommendations stemming from the investigation and trials. The charge has been made that systemic racism is the main reason why the police department must go. A systemic problem means that the problem is a basic one and it is experienced by the whole of an organization. So far there has been very little evidence presented that I am aware of that documents a problem within the Minneapolis Police Department of that magnitude. There are undoubtedly racists within the department and they need to be dealt with and procedures need to be put in place to reform the department. But until and unless the results of an independent investigation by a legitimate authority concludes that the department is beyond fixing and must be defunded and replaced with a new system, then there should be no rush to defund.

Since George Floyd’s death the number of shootings in Minneapolis has risen to 224 so far this year and the number of homicides is 32, which is double what it was last year at the same time. Right now the police are doing all they can to keep up with the violence. Imagine what it would be like if tomorrow they defunded the police department and turned it over to unarmed social workers. It wouldn’t be very long before the governor would declare a state of emergency and activate the National Guard. Or if this isn’t done then those who could afford to do so, along with all the businesses would bale on Minneapolis. Insurance rates would skyrocket, property values plummet, and murders and mayhem would become the norm. For the sake of all the people living in Minneapolis or commuting to work in the city, the charter amendment to defund the police department should not be approved. The Mayor, the Police Chief and the Police Union should be allowed to make reforms and set new standards that have real consequences for those in the Police Department who fail to follow them. If these fail to achieve results then other options could be explored at that time.

As a final note, about a week or so after the violent demonstrations ended I was pulling out of a gas station and a police officer was walking into the building and he looked at me sort of dejected because he evidently thought I wasn’t going to let him have the right of way. Instead, I waved him across and his whole face lit up with a big smile. It probably was the first time in a while that anyone did anything even approaching nice to him, at least while he was in uniform. I’m glad I made him feel good. I appreciate our police officers. They must be going through hell because of this situation.

Ward 8

7/21/2020 2:39:01 PM

Totally against the idea of defunding police or other changes other than improved training and hiring. I’m a voting liberal democrat but this is complete overreach and I will not support the city council on this issue. Period. All of the politicians involved let this city burn to the ground and did nothing for several days. What a disgrace.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 2:41:15 PM

I definitely agree with Mayor Frey that the police department needs major reforms and that police officers need to be held accountable for their use of inappropriate use of force or other transgressions against citizens.But in my opinion, a police department and a police officers skill set is still needed in situations and I do believe we still need a reformed and re-trained police department in Minneapolis.

Again, we need major reforms. What we saw with George Floyd was just the tip of the ice burg. Derrick Chauvin was a senior officer training in new officers. Why did he feel empowered and able to treat a citizen this way? Why was he essentially showing other officers that this is how you treat people? Clearly, things needs to change at MPD and with policing nationwide.

The Minnesota Law Enforcement Code of Conduct States: "As a Minnesota Law Enforcement Officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all to liberty, equality and justice." Source: http://www2.minneapolismn.gov/police/policy/mpdpolicy_5-100_5- 100#:~:text=MINNESOTA%20LAW%20ENFORCEMENT%20CODE%20OF%20ETHICS%3A&text=I%20will%2 0keep%20my%20private,of%20the%20welfare%20of%20others.

This was clearly not the case in the George Floyd incident and in so many repeated incidents that we have seen in the United States. There was no safegaurding lives and there was no protecting the oppressed against intimidation.

I do believe that our city needs to boost funding for appropriate resources for community services such as medical care, mental health care services, education, violence prevention programs and addiction services and more in Minneapolis. When cities invest in community services, they reduce the need to call police in instances when police officers’ specific skill set isn’t required. But again, in my opinion, a police officers skill set is still needed in situations in Minneapolis and I do believe we still need a reformed and re-trained police department in Minneapolis.

Even Dallas Police Chief David Brown said in 2016, “Every societal failure, we put it off on the cops to solve. Not enough mental health funding, let the cops handle it… Here in Dallas we got a loose dog problem; let’s have the cops chase loose dogs. Schools fail, let’s give it to the cops… That’s too much to ask. Policing was never meant to solve all those problems.”

I fully agree with this. I also agree that we need to increase funding for community services and that policing in Minneapolis needs reforms. We do not need people dying at the hands of police. Black lives matter and this behavior has to end. We do need an appropriately reformed and re-trained police department in the city. Also, I am confused why City Council members think that it's okay to hire private security because they are worried their lives are in danger and they are concerned for their safety, using tax payer dollars, but they also believe city and it's residents shouldn't have police officers for dangerous situation? Please address this in the City Council meeting https://www.startribune.com/mpls-has-paid-63k-to-protect-for- three-council-members/571555642/?refresh=true

Ward 3

7/21/2020 2:46:02 PM

I would like to see more thought about the needed changes -- perhaps a committee appointed to come up with various proposals

Ward 10

7/21/2020 2:47:57 PM

Thank you for the time you've already put in to making informed and neutral decisions on this important issue. I encourage you to promptly evaluate this amendment for clarity and legal appropriateness, so that it can be on the ballot this November. This year more than ever, we need to protect our democratic processes and empower voters at the ballot box to have their voices heard!

I have attended multiple public hearings to understand the range of opinions on this issue, as well as the (possible) confusion regarding the Charter Commission's role in the process. As citizens we have months to educate ourselves and our neighbors about the nuances of these changes before voting; please do not let confusion about process prevent us from being heard in November!

Ward 9

7/21/2020 2:48:05 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxx and I am from Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive

7/21/2020 2:55:38 PM

Ward 12

7/21/2020 3:06:22 PM

I do not support eliminating the police department without a detailed evidence-based plan for what we would replace it with, including how/when it would be phased in and how success would be measured along with the details of what the success criteria would be used, what data would be collected and how and by whom and how it would be made easily available to the public at any time. We should solicit replacement/change proposals after establishing selection criteria, including seeing what works in other cities, and then prototype the selected one/ones in a limited jurisdiction, like the 3rd precinct, and measure the impact before deciding to roll out changes to a larger area.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 3:06:59 PM

I support the Charter Commission moving the City Council's charter amendment - with its current language - to a ballot vote in November. Let the people of Minneapolis vote on this amendment, so that we can shape our future the way we see fit. Do not delay, and do not stand in the way of a democratic vote.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 3:28:04 PM

I strongly oppose the proposed charter amendment reducing the police requirement. It lacks any detail on what is proposed to replace the current system. And, it is completely wrong-headed. Violence is surging. Our city was recently engulfed in flames, a whole police precinct abandoned by the Mayor. Citizens in hard-hit crime areas are very vocal that the police are needed. We have seen the increase in violence since the irresponsible members of City Council have started talk of "defunding" the department.

In addition, it will backfire: police budgets are mostly salaries. If budgets are cut, officers are cut. And who is cut first? The most junior ones - the ones that are the most diverse! That is the last thing we need.

Someone may argue that more non-police resources are needed. That’s fine - let’s have that debate. Maybe we should pay more taxes to fund it. But the idea that we can afford to reduce police resources is patently ridiculous. At the very least, if this idea was on the ballot, there should be an equal option to *increase* the minimum policing level... but I don't see any interest group arguing for that option. Why should voters not get a choice?

Ward 13

7/21/2020 3:28:29 PM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. Give the people of Minneapolis the opportunity to craft something better than our current system. We can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 3:32:10 PM

I do not support defunding or abolishing the police department at this time. We need much more information research before we can make a decision. The November ballot is too soon.

Thank-you

Ward 13 7/21/2020 3:33:34 PM

Without any details about what would replace the police department, I do not support putting this in front of voters in November. The council members need to do the hard work of providing specifics and budgets, including how much of the budget will support private security details for the council members themselves.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 3:43:08 PM

I support moving the amendment to a ballot vote in November. The people of Minneapolis have and will create strong alternatives to policing and the time is NOW. An immediate divestment of $45 million from MPD could be used to support workers and provide affordable housing. Economic and housing stability for all will increase safety for all. Thank you for your work.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 3:46:40 PM

I support changing the charter commission and allowing the people of Minneapolis the opportunity to create and put in place something more equitable than the policing we currently have. The charter needs to change so this can happen.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 3:48:14 PM

My name is xxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 5

7/21/2020 3:48:18 PM

I support removing the Police Department from the charter and adding a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 3:50:45 PM

My name is xxxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities. I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. We know that over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. This isn't an opinion; it's a proven fact. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we are the residents. We know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

This initiative is our best chance to build stronger, safer communities for EVERYONE in Minneapolis. Please pass the charter amendment along to voters, and respect our democratic right to decide the future of our city. We are at a clear tipping point. This moment brings with it the possibility for a brighter future for all. Please allow your residents to weigh in on what we know best: our city.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 3:55:22 PM

My name is XXXXXXXXX XXXX and I am the Pastor of St. Olaf Lutheran Church in north Minneapolis and a resident of north Minneapolis. I am speaking against the idea of replacing the Minneapolis Police Department with a new charter department to provide for community safety and violence prevention. I am also speaking against the proposal of the Charter Commission to issue an additional or alternate amendment to eliminate the minimum number of police from the city Charter.

Some areas of the city are obviously safer than others. The normal situation in north Minneapolis, as well as some areas of south Minneapolis is a level of violent crime that occupies the entire time of the police force on duty in the precinct. Property and traffic crimes and nuisance issues rarely get a timely response because all police are responding to violent crimes that have happened or are about to happen. This situation has only gotten worse since the George Floyd killing. Although more police is not desirable, we are not getting the protection we need with the current size of the police force. Our staff have been attacked and threatened with violence, our children and youth cannot use the parks, people are afraid to come to church, and residents are afraid to walk in the streets. Prevention and postvention programs are needed, but not at the expense of the existing police force. To hear so many Minneapolis citizens speak out in favor of these amendments has the effect of making residents of north Minneapolis feel like the rest of the city doesn’t care about them. Some are putting their homes up for sale and moving out. It is also ironic that some of the City Council who are proposing this amendment have hired private security for their protection because they don’t trust the police. The privatization of police protection is an odious concept, but may become reality if either of these amendments are put on the ballot.

Ward 5

7/21/2020 4:00:52 PM

The charter should not be changed and I highly suspect the City councils (and Mayors) motives in this initiative. The reason? The city council has taken every opportunity to throw the Minneapolis Police Department under the bus, and tying a racist motivator if it can be implied. The have consistently made it an uphill battle when the MPD has asked for more funds or more officers. The mayor Jacob Frey, who was a council member until Betsy Hodges was voted out under a similar event, has also contributed to this attack on the Minneapolis PD. They have been fueling the powder keg that erupted into riots, devastating the city of Minneapolis. For three days, the riots raged, and the City Council did nothing. Then, approximately a week after the riots began and people are left picking up the pieces, they decry "De-fund the police", but they didn't even have a plan at that point. To make such announcement prematurely was a shortsighted error of epic proportion, and showed that "reformation" wasn't part of the plan at all. Since then gang and gun violence in our city has soared while criminal elements try to take advantage of the situation; among them gangs attempting to establish a foothold in Minneapolis.

For as long as the city council has been attacking the MPD, to not have any ideas, suggestion or a plan for this "reformation" when it blows up in their face? No, this is an attempt to grab power. They are exploiting an event caused by the travesty of George Floyd's death for their own personal gain. Pointing the finger at a few bad apples to undermine the hundreds of other officers who have performed their duty with honor and integrity. This has caused and attrition withing the police force to skyrocket - after all, why put your life on the line with exemplary performance when the city council will treat you like a pariah anyway?

That is how the city council operates; by focusing on the exceptions to the norm to execute policy on the whole. They did it when they cancelled 911 alerts property owners, emails sent by Luther Kruger to alert a property owner a 911 call had been made to their property with a brief summery of details. Their response was "a landlord had evicted a tenant for calling 911 and we didn't want that to happen to anyone else". I was speaking with Jeremiah Ellison at the time and told him "I am going to say that's a lie, because housing court won't evict someone because they called 911. You can redact the names and addresses and I bet you cannot show me a case where that happened." It was too late, and a valuable tool that helped me identify an ex-boyfriend was harassing my tenant was gone for good, with a paltry excuse.

The city council has a history of utilizing such strategies and fact manipulation to mislead the public, in much the same ways as Trump, making a mockery of city government and and generating a defeatist culture through the lack of confidence in our elected officials on the city council.

If the city council had a plan for how to 'fix the MPD', they would have offered it, whether it served them our not. You do not change the charter, that is purely a power grab, and when the city council has already made a practice of lying to the public, that is not the entity I want over my police force.

Ward 4

7/21/2020 4:02:48 PM

Hello, my name is xxxxxxxxx. I’m writing to voice my strong support for the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November.

Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than policing. We can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way. I urge you to change the charter.

Thank you

Ward 3

7/21/2020 4:05:01 PM

My name is xxxx, I'm a powderhorn resident and I'm writing in to voice my support for the Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department amendment to be added to the upcoming ballot. People are speaking up all across the country to let those in power know that the current model of policing is not working. It would be deeply dishonest for you as charter commission members to block this process of democracy. Situations like the police failing to protect the community are precisely what this process is for. Let us vote!

Ward 9

7/21/2020 4:08:26 PM

I absolutely support the charter comission moving the current language of the amnendmant to a ballot vote in November. Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than policing. We can do it, but the charter council cannot stand in the way. Also people of Minneapolis should have representation from people in their neighborhoods and communities to address heir specific needs.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 4:15:13 PM

I do not support the proposed Charter Amendment. I prefer an approach as outlined in the June 29, 2020 Statement on public safety from the Mpls Downtown Council, Mpls Regional Chamber, and BOMA Greater Minneapolis.

Ward 7

7/21/2020 4:15:21 PM

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/21/2020 4:15:27 PM

Do NOT change the City Charter - KEEP THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY CHARTER. The City Council is making recommendations based in emotion and has not thoroughly thought through the consequences of their actions. There need to be changes to the department to help all residents, but to disband, defund, or eliminate the department is the WRONG thing to do. There is nothing in place or being planned that will adequately replace the police. We need sworn law enforcement personnel to handle the criminal activity in the city. We NEED the police!

The Council would be a better group to find ways to provide affordable housing, living wage employment, and educational resources for our children than trying to get rid of the police. KEEP THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY CHARTER.

Ward 10 7/21/2020 4:15:34 PM

I do not support this change to the Charter nor do I support abolishing the MPD. I believe this Council is out of control and are trying to make too much change too fast and are altogether too altruistic.

Changes to the MPD can be made without erasing the entire department. Has anyone stopped to think about what good the department HAS done? There are some very good and dedicated officers on the force and they’ve been made to feel worthless. Try to put yourself in their position. I encourage you to look into what happened to the PAL Program, a program for young girls residing in Little Earth by female MPD officers. This mentorship program was eliminated to funnel money into the failed opioid policies.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 4:17:22 PM

Ward 11

7/21/2020 4:27:06 PM

I strongly support adding this charter amendment to the ballot this November. The time to have this conversation is now - in the midst of the largest movement against racism and specifically the demonstration of racism + white supremacy in policing since the Civil Rights Movement and possibly in our country's history.

After listening to voices of my neighbors and those at a public engagement session with Cam Gordon, I have been reflecting on the reactions of mistrust in the city council in response to this process. Many of these reactions were based on the inaction of city government in response to prior police shootings of black men. This is why I fear that delaying and burying this will only deepen the mistrust of government, as well as cost further human life. It all also speaks to the importance of actually doing something effective if the ballot initiative is followed.

Please do not falter in this imperative moment. Move this vote to the people and prepare to EFFECTIVELY intervene on the reinforcement of white supremacy through policing.

xxxxxxxxx - Prospect Park resident

Ward 2

7/21/2020 4:31:29 PM

I believe that the charter commission must allow the city council's charter amendment to be put on the ballot, and not allow for any competing ballot measures to be placed alongside it. The effort to propose an alternate ballot measure, one that does not require removing MPD as a charter department or remove the minimum officer requirement, only serves to confuse the people, detract from the demands made, and to enact the charter commission's will on us. You are an unelected body, you do not get to decide whether or not we have a police department in this city, and you cannot stand in the way of progress. Let the council's amendment go forward - it is the bare minimum, a first step, and we will eliminate the Minneapolis Police Department, with or without your approval.

Ward 6

7/21/2020 4:31:48 PM

I fully support the charter commission putting the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. The people of Minneapolis should be able to dream and create systems for safety and peace that work for all residents, without the charter standing in our way.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 4:32:01 PM

I cannot be at tonight's (Tuesday, July 21) public hearing about this crucial issue. I submit these comments to make public my support for putting this amendment to a vote.

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxx; I am a Ward 10 resident of Minneapolis. I support this proposed amendment to improve the safety of all Minneapolis residents, and those within city limits, by being able to shift the focus of enforcement efforts to highlight social needs; and continue, in an appropriately limited capacity, the uniformed and armed component of a public safety force. I call upon the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment.

Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while keeping no one safer: this is manifestly true for non-white community members, but is equally true of white people within Minneapolis's city limits. Voters like me deserve and demand this role in determining the future of public safety in our city.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 4:38:30 PM

I hesitantly support adding the amendment to the ballot. The voters of Minneapolis should have a say on how our city addresses public safety. My main concern is that the new changes would repackage a flawed system of policing that continues on under a new name. I’m the city needs to invest in reimagining an entirely different approach, one that works collaboratively with the most vulnerable populations whom have disproportionately suffered the harm and consequences of unchecked policing with bloated budgets while watching as every other facet of our city goes under resourced and ignored until crisis emerges. These reactionary responses do not create a long-term solution.

Ward 8

7/21/2020 4:42:07 PM

To whom it may concern,

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, I am an organizer with United Renters For Justice/Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia and I am a resident in the Central neighborhood of South Minneapolis. I would like to express strong support for the Community Safety Amendment. I have worked as a renter organizer for about 4 years, and during this time I have organized with hundred if not thousands of renters across the city. And in my work, not once has MPD been a resource to the communities I work with, if anything it has been a hinderance and something we have had to fight to protect ourselves from. These same communities, the low-income communities of color that you claim to serve, deserve the right to vote on what makes them feel safe and how to create safety in our city. I know first hand that one of the main things that keeps us all safe is stable and dignified housing. During this health crisis that has become more apparent than ever. And I cannot imagine what the money that goes to MPD every year could do for housing. I can only dream of how many people would be housed with that money and how that resource could completely change public safety for everyone in Minneapolis. Instead, the only role that the police play in our neighborhood regarding housing is through the forceful and violent eviction of our unhoused neighbors from Powderhorn Park and the violent displacement of people facing eviction in our city. That is not what public safety looks like.

We know that the crisis of police violence is not new, it is intertwined with centuries of settle colonial violence. The housing crisis is also not new, and also stems from decades of land theft and white supremacy. But in this moment, thanks to the visionary organizing and fight of movements of color in our city and across the country, it is more visible and glaring than ever that this system is systematically killing our Black community and we will not allow it to continue. Change is inevitable. You have the choice of allowing our city to vote on what we know we need, or to force change to happen in other venues. The question is not whether MPD is essential to the city or not, the question is whether you will allow us all to vote for change or create change ourselves in other ways. Do not stand in the way of the change that this city needs!

Ward 9

7/21/2020 4:49:03 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxx in Northeast Minneapolis. I am in support of the amendment of the charter and urge the council to move swiftly before the deadline to allow it to appear on the ballot this November. Democracy is founded on the idea that people have the right and the responsibility of self- governance, and allowing this proposal to be considered in a November vote is a correct step in continuing the democratic process towards a better solution. Black, indigenous, and community members of color have been unfairly targeted for police violence in this city for too long, and MPD has proven itself beyond reform. Justice for George Floyd and many others can only be gained by moving towards community-based solutions. Leaders in groups such as Black Visions and Reclaim the Block, as well as many mutual aide groups throughout the city, have already provided proof of concept of the strength of a community standing together.

Thank you.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 4:50:30 PM

I support the proposed amendment to the Minneapolis City Charter to remove the MPD as a required City Department and establish a new Department of Public Safety and Violence Prevention. This amendment is a critical first step in designing new systems for community-led safety across our city. I live just a couple blocks from where George Floyd was murdered by the Minneapolis Police Department, and it has opened my eyes to the terror and trauma that many in our community experience at the hands of the police department. It has also emphasized to me that those of us who live in relative comfort in this city in relation to law enforcement can no longer be complicit in this system. We do not need a militarized police force in this city, we need a department focused on safety and crime prevention. I ask that you as the Charter Commission do your job and put this amendment on the November 2020 ballot so that we as residents of the City of Minneapolis can decide what the future of public safety should look like. Thank you for your consideration.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 4:52:04 PM

For many reasons, I strongly urge the charter commission to accept the proposed language for the charter amendment, so it can be on the ballot this November, 2020. We can't wait another year to begin the process of transforming a department that harms so many Black and Brown bodies. We can't continue to spend 35% of the general fund on policing given its violent track record. That's not good governance. We need to move forward in revisioning a department that truly serves all, in particular our Black and Brown communities who have suffered most. Getting this amendment on the ballot this year is critical.

Ward 4

7/21/2020 4:54:57 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxx. I live in Powderhorn Park. I am writing to add a comment to the Charter Commission. We demand you to hear community input and hear us loud and clear; change the charter. Let the voters decide in November on the future of community-led safety in Minneapolis.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 4:57:45 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxx from North East Minneapolis. I strongly believe that this proposed amendment should be voted on in November. It is extremely important for the city to show not only its residents, but also the world, how we can handle positive change in a system that has been racist and corrupt for

decades. While there is still a long way to go, this is the correct first step in a journey of 1000 miles that we need to take to get the positive change we need for our society.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 4:57:56 PM

Please let the people decide what we want safety to look like in our city. We cannot wait another year. How many more unarmed Black, Indigenous, and People of Color need to die at the hands of police officers until before we take away their tools of murder?

Ward 2

7/21/2020 5:04:39 PM

I support putting the question of the charter amendment to voters in November. There is no way I can consider myself disconnected from how the police act in Minneapolis, even though I am a resident of St. Paul. I can't stand by while police act without accountability and hurt my neighbors, and I know we won't have peace in our cities until all of our citizens get justice. Let the people of Minneapolis craft a better way forward for public safety.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/21/2020 5:16:11 PM

I have grown up in the East Phillips neighborhood near Little Earth, which, with a quick Google search, is referred to by the internet as 'the bad side of Minneapolis', a 'neighborhood to avoid' and among the neighborhoods with the highest crime rates. I have seen the presence of police over time and how even the best, most well-intentioned, earnest and trustworthy officers have impacted the area. Even with increased presence (and a gluttonous, ever-growing budget), at best crime congeals around them, filling in the spaces where they are not at that moment. The crime rates continue to increase.

Added to that, the Minneapolis Police Department is experiencing a mass exodus; hundreds of officers applying to leave their post following the murder of George Floyd. Some officers are truly and desperately in need of respite. They are under-trained for what their jobs demand of them. Others, I fear, are leaving because they refuse to stop enacting violence on the human beings they are meant to protect and to serve.

We have put our faith in the social experiment of policing for many, many, many years. We have turned blind eyes to its blood-soaked failures and deaf ears to those begging for simple fairness. It is long past time to try something new and our community WANTS to speak, to vote, to be heard, to have a say in the next attempt at refining our safety, together and for everyone. Let this amendment be the herald of much larger changes for our communities moving forward and let change come swiftly.

Now is not the time to hesitate.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 5:16:38 PM

I have learned the hard way that the people are most anti cop are often the ones to call the cops when other tried and true control tactics have stopped working. Also are there going to be accountability processes to deal with sexual and gender violence like what the church of Scientology and the IWW use for their adherents?

Ward 8

7/21/2020 5:19:03 PM

Greetings Members of the Charter Commission,

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and my family has lived in South Minneapolis for 35 years. I understand that there are many Minneapolis residents who desire to have the police keep them safe. But many of those residents have a different experience with the system of policing. As a child, I remember fearing the police rather than thinking they were heroes. That is not because I was taught to fear the police by my parents. It was because of how I witnessed the police interact with my friends and loved ones. I did not grow up relying on the police for safety. I relied on my community for safety. In fact, in many cases, the police were the cause and not prevention of violence in my community.

A Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention is a step toward healing in the area of public safety. It is the City of Minneapolis taking a chance to invest in the health and wellness of its people to emphasize violence prevention (by opportunity) over and against the idea of a police department that emphasizes violence deterrence (by show of force) and response. This is a chance for every member of the community to feel like they too have an equal opportunity to experience safety in their own bodies as a resident rather than be perceived as a potential criminal. We need a fresh start. We need to let go of the idea and culture of policing, which is a descendant of the system of slave patrol. We need to prevent violence by investing in the people, not in an abundance of patrol. If we truly believe that we will be better people if we invest in our wellness, then we owe it to ourselves, to our neighbors, and to the families of George Floyd, Philando Castile, and all others who unjustly died at the hands of the police in the greater Twin Cities area to lead the way and try.

Thank you.

Ward 8

7/21/2020 5:23:17 PM

Attachment:

Police Culture Murdered George Floyd This is my third written comment to the Charter Commission. I strongly urge the Commission to fast track the proposed amendment to create a new department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention. I believe this is the critical first step to creating a humane and human group who truly are community guardians. By putting the proposal on the ballot, you allow citizens of our city to decide if they want to participate in a process to create this new department. This action is urgent because the current police department is broken beyond repair and peoples’ lives are at stake. Reading the Start Tribune article, “Bodycam video shows officer pulled gun on George Floyd early on”, July 16, 2020, cleared up the haze and murk regarding conflicting claims and “bad apples”, etc. For me (72 years old, white, Jewish, cis) what became clear was that police culture murdered George Floyd and that this was an act of domestic terrorism.

The sequence of events documented in the article describe how the terror began as soon as Lane and Kueng started toward Mr. Floyd’s car. When I follow the sequence, I see Lane and Kueng initiating terror and then carrying through and escalating until the “senior”, Chauvin, arrives to deliver the death blow. They operated as a well drilled military unit.

It started quietly as the officers responded to a call from Cup about a fake $20 bill they received. Lane and Kueng went into the store, spoke to the manager and then went out to the vehicle where the person who passed the fake bill sat. As Lane and Kueng crossed the street, terror blasted from 0 to 100 mph instantly. Viewed critically, step-by-step, this sequence of terror is heart wrenching:

“About 90 seconds into Kueng’s video, Lane was seen reaching his right hand toward a gun holstered on his right hip while he was halfway across the street and before he reached the van. Lane had a long flashlight in his left hand.”

Lane tapped the driver’s side window with the flashlight.

“Let me see your hands,” Lane ordered.

Floyd’s back was turned to the window; he pivoted to look at Lane.

“Oh!” Floyd said.

About 1 minute and 38 seconds into Lane’s video, the car’s windows reflected Lane holding up his gun in his right hand, pointing it toward Floyd.

This tableau is eerily reminiscent of the scene with Philando Castille. What do you think was going through Mr. Floyd’s mind?

“Hey, man, I’m sorry!” Floyd said, opening the car door.

“Stay in the car,” Lane said. “Let me see your other hand.”

Floyd’s left hand was raised in the air. The video did not immediately capture his right hand.

At 1 minute and 44 seconds in Lane’s video, Lane pushed the car door further open with his left hand while pointing his gun at Floyd with the other hand.

Swearing, Lane ordered Floyd to put up his hands.

“All right,” said a visibly distraught Floyd. “What I do though? What we do, Mr. Officer?”

After almost two minutes, and the gun drawn pointing at Mr. Floyd, the reason for this terror is not given.

Lane swore at Floyd twice and again ordered him to put his hands on the steering wheel. Lane used his left hand to push Floyd’s left shoulder, which had leaned slightly out. About 2 minutes in Lane’s video, Floyd gripped the steering wheel with both hands

“Yes sir, I’m sorry, officer,” Floyd said, later resting his forehead on top of the backs of his hands.

About 2 minutes and 23 seconds in Lane’s video, Lane reached his left hand into the car and placed it on top of Floyd’s left hand and part of his head. Lane began to reholster his gun about the same time.

About 2 minutes and 37 seconds into Lane’s video, Lane placed his left hand on Floyd’s hands and his right hand on Floyd’s back inside the car and tugged on him slightly. Floyd was in tears.

“OK, Mr. Officer, please don’t shoot me,” Floyd said. “Please, man.”

“I’m not going to shoot you,” Lane said. “Step out and face away.”

Floyd remained in the car before 13 seconds passed and Lane used both hands to grab Floyd’s left hand and right arm. Lane had still not explained the reason for his actions. About 3 minutes and 7 seconds into Lane’s video, Lane partly pulled Floyd out of the car. Floyd was eventually removed from the vehicle, and Kueng and Lane handcuffed him about 3 minutes and 33 seconds into Lane’s video, with Lane twisting Floyd’s right arm up at a sharp angle against his back.

“I’m sorry Mr. Officer,” Floyd said around that point. “I’ll get on my knees — whatever.”

Kueng accused Floyd of resisting arrest. Floyd said he wasn’t.

“I didn’t do nothing wrong, man,” Floyd said.

“Stand up!” Kueng said.

“Please, please, man,” Floyd said.

Kueng walked Floyd away from the van while Lane spoke to Floyd’s two passengers, a man and a woman who were standing on the sidewalk, 3 minutes and 47 seconds into his video

“What I do?” asked the woman, Shawanda Renee Hill.

“We’re figuring out what’s going on,” Lane said.

Lane asked Hill why Floyd was being “squirrelly” and whether he was drunk “on something.” She said he was afraid because Lane pointed the gun at him.

This exchange reveals the gulf between police culture and community common sense.

About 6 minutes into Lane’s video, Lane told Hill they were investigating an allegedly fake bill.

“We come over here, he starts grabbing for the keys and all that stuff, starts getting weird, not showing us his hands,” Lane told Hill. About 6 minutes into Kueng’s video Kueng informed Floyd about the investigation while the two are standing away from Lane and the passengers.

“We’re here because it sounds like you gave a fake bill to the individuals in there,” Kueng said.

“Yeah,” Floyd replied.

Finally, after about 6 minutes, Mr. Floyd and his passengers are informed about the reason for this police attack.

Kueng informed him that he was pulled from the car because he “was not listening to anything we told you.”

The next 5 minutes describe a struggle to get Mr. Floyd into the police car. Apparently, Mr. Floyd’s offense was, “… not listening to anything we told you.

Lane and Kueng struggled for about three minutes to get Floyd into the back of their squad as each of them stood on either side of the vehicle with the doors open.

Floyd, who told them he was claustrophobic and pleaded with them to stop, fell sideways into the car after Kueng pressed one hand on his chest and the other on his head.

Lane tried to pull Floyd in from the rear passenger side.

Floyd continued to wheeze, telling them he just had COVID and couldn’t breathe. Eventually, Floyd’s body twisted out of the passenger door and his knees slid to the pavement. Kueng pushed him forward to the ground and restrained his legs as Chauvin knelt on his neck

Chauvin and Tou Thao had arrived to assist their colleagues.

About 11 minutes into Lane’s video, Lane grabbed Floyd’s leg and helped Chauvin and Kueng flip Floyd from his back onto his stomach in the street.

I think it is important to realize that Lane and Kueng had carried out this attack for at least 10 minutes before Chauvin and Thao arrived

The bodycam video and video recorded by a bystander showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck while he said he couldn’t breathe, called out for his “mama” several times and warned the officers he was going to die. Bystanders also pleaded with the officers to stop and check his pulse.

Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back while Lane knelt on and held onto his legs. Thao managed bystanders at the scene and dismissed their concerns.

Lane’s video showed that he asked twice about rolling Floyd onto his side, but did not appear to express any sense of urgency, fear or persistence in his voice.

About 16 minutes into Lane’s video Floyd stopped talking and appeared unresponsive. His last words just seconds earlier were: “Come on, man. Oh, oh. [Indecipherable mixed chatter.] I cannot breathe. I cannot breathe. Ah! They killed me. They killed me. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. Oh! Ah! Ah! Please, please, please.”

About a minute later Hill called from off screen, “He’s about to pass out.”

“I think he’s passing out,” Lane told his colleagues.

A minute later, Kueng checked Floyd’s pulse.

“I can’t find one,” said Kueng, who appeared to stop holding onto Floyd and moved further back.

Chauvin and Lane continued restraining Floyd for about another three minutes until paramedics arrived.

About 19 minutes and 40 seconds in Lane’s video, a paramedic arrived and took Floyd’s pulse at his neck. The paramedic walked away without a sense of urgency.

This episode of terror lasted for almost 20 minutes.

It is still difficult for me to reread what happened on the corner of 38th & Chicago on May 25, 2020. Yet, as I reflect on it two things become clear. The first set of things shine a light on police culture:

1. The four police acted as a unit. Lane and Kueng’s actions initiated a sequence of terror and brutality that was seamlessly joined by Chauvin and Thao 11 minutes later. These actions led to Mr. Floyd’s death. 2. Given our community’s experience, this act of terror is a regular occurrence. It is something that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color have come to expect. 3. Given the widespread use of these tactics of terror by police departments, here, in St. Paul and across the country, I must conclude that this is not an accident or a case of “bad apples”. It is something intrinsic in police culture and the institution of police departments. I believe that something is systemic racism. 4. This conclusion, for me, is reinforced by the on-going purpose of police. They were created in the south to control enslaved people and in the north to protect property. Policing was never about being guardians of the community.

The second set of things made realize that these police actions fit definitions of (domestic or State sponsored) terror:

Domestic terrorism is define under Chapter 113B of Title 18: Crimes and Criminal Procedures of the Code of Laws of the United States this way – “A person engages in domestic terrorism if they do an act "dangerous to human life" that is a violation of the criminal laws of a state or the United States, if the act appears to be intended to: (i) intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping.

The Encyclopædia Britannica Online defines terrorism generally as "the systematic use of violence to create a general climate of fear in a population and thereby to bring about a particular political objective", The encyclopedia adds that "[e]stablishment terrorism, often called state or state-sponsored terrorism, is employed by governments—or more often by factions within governments—against that government's citizens, against factions within the government, or against foreign governments or groups."[2]

I believe that the actions of the police across the United States fit these definitions.

1. As witnessed by the 100 tombstones in the “Say Their Names” installation on 37th and Chicago, police action is “dangerous to human life”. George Floyd knew that the split second he saw Lane at his car window with gun drawn. 2. The historic pattern of police behavior confirms that it is intended to “intimidate or coerce” a specific section of the “civilian population”, African Americans in particular and BIPOC in general. 3. Michelle Alexander, in “The New Jim Crow”, describes the function of our system of mass incarceration as controlling the population of people of color. The police are the gateway to this system of control. 4. George Floyd’s experience is an iconic example of this terrorism in action. 5. The demonstrations after Mr. Floyd’s murder are iconic examples of why this brutality, intimidation and coercion will not work. The above seems to me to prove my assertion that the police department is broken beyond repair. To me, that means we need to start over from scratch in creating an alternative. When we do that we cut the thread that connects policing to its historic roots.

I think the concept of the proposed Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention headed by someone with a background in caring for people is a good idea. I think the philosophical basis for this new department must be about caring for the community and demonstrating the sanctity of human life. Still, the key is community driven.

Commissioners, you have the power to send this plan forward to the community. I hope you do.

Thank you

Submitted by xxx xxxxxxxx

xxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx

Ward 8

7/21/2020 5:25:33 PM

Please send your recommendations to the council.

You are an unelected group who does not represent the city, unlike the elected council. Please don’t force your opinions on your neighbors. If you don’t like the amendment you are all free to vote against it. Please Do Not put your own amendment on the ballot. Let the council decide. Unless it is an amendment to Abolish the Charter Commission. I would vote for that. Thanks for your time. Ward 1 7/21/2020 5:27:55 PM

As a Minneapolis resident, I strongly support moving the proposed amendment to the ballot for the November 2020 election. Given many years of police violence carried out by the Minneapolis Police Department against Minneapolis community members, and disproportionately towards communities of color, it is critical that the charter be revised to remove MPD, and allow our community to design a new system of public safety that will not perpetuate racist violence. I ask that the Charter Commission now do it’s job and respond to public feedback and comment that are clearly asking for this issue to be brought to voters in November. This is an urgent matter of life and death for our residents, and as such should not delayed or postponed, especially given the initiative of community members and elected officials to get the proposed amendment on the ballot. As a city, the sooner we are able to revise the city charter, the sooner we can transform what public safety looks like to create a safe and nurturing environment for all our communities.

Thank you,

Ward 13

7/21/2020 5:30:22 PM

The community need more investment. Housing, workers rights, health and education. we dont need more police. we need you council see us and hear us.This is a moment to choice the community. let people decided what we what and need to see and our community.

7/21/2020 5:37:11 PM

As you prepare to meet tonight regarding the transformation of public safety, I would like to echo the voices of many Minneapolis residents and ask that the council would remove the necessity provision of a Police Department from the charter, and allow it to be on the ballot in November. The proposed community programs in place of a police department would be revolutionary in creating positive change for our community. I echo the sentiments of community members who have lost members of their families, friendship circles, and other communities at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. As it's been shown in the past, reform is not enough.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 5:38:13 PM

Help homeless people at encampments or provide sufficient help to those who are without homes.

Ward 7

7/21/2020 5:44:50 PM

Please consider voting AGAINST the proposed charter amendment which makes changes related to the police department. The proposed language is far too vague and grants essentially carte blanche to the Council to make whatever changes they want and remove almost all authority from the Mayor. While I support changes to the MPD in general and definitely feel the need for changes specifically related to the use of force, I do not feel that the proposed changes to the charter sufficiently address public concerns for adequate safety and enforcement measures, and instead the language gives the City Council virtually unlimited power to make arbitrary changes without finding sources of funding or requiring public ballot approval.

Ward 11

7/21/2020 5:45:49 PM

I support you moving the proposed amendment to the Minneapolis City Charter - to remove the MPD as a required City Department and establish a new Department of Public Safety and Violence Prevention - to a ballot vote in November. This amendment is a critical first step in designing new systems for community-led safety across our city. I live just a couple blocks from where George Floyd was murdered by the Minneapolis Police Department, and it has opened my eyes to the terror and trauma that many in our community experience at the hands of the police department. It has also emphasized to me that those of us who live in relative comfort in this city in relation to law enforcement can no longer be complicit in this system. We do not need a militarized police force in this city, we need a department focused on safety and crime prevention. I ask that you as the Charter Commission do your job and put this amendment on the November 2020 ballot so that we as residents of the City of Minneapolis can decide what the future of public safety should look like. Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than policing, we can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way. Thank you for your consideration.

Ward 6

7/21/2020 5:48:37 PM

We are simply asking that you allow a democratic process to move forward in a way that could positively impact the community. We want an opportunity to vote.

As we have all had to rapidly adapt to changing circumstances through 2020. We have all had a hard time predicting what the future holds. There has been a lot of fear, and pain and uncertainty. By voting to allow the charter amendment to be put on the ballot you would be giving the gift of one certainty. Something we can plan around, and schedule for. This is a vote on process, not a debate about if would should defund police or not but I would like to give you some insight into what a future with less police looks like for my community.

I am a Sex Worker and an advocate for my people. In Minneapolis right now police officers are legally allowed to rape and rob us. They do so frequently in sting operations and other more coercive situations. The rape and rob is then followed most often by incarceration, deportation sometimes, and continued harassment. We don't deserve to be treated this way. Raping and robbing has never helped anyone. Police are not the correct entity to serve our community. We are the right people to serve our community.

As Sex Workers it is very easy for us to identify people we work along side who are being abused, and to offer them the support they actually need. Trust in communities and allow us to vote for the future we would like to build.

Ward 1

7/21/2020 5:51:25 PM

It is imperative that the Charter Commission do its intended job - merely to determine if the proposal is appropriate to the charter. Do NOT hold up / block the democratic process.

The uprising was a much-needed, boots on the ground referendum on the police department, even if it didn’t take place in City Hall. Thousands of people of every color in this community took to the street; now the Charter Commission must do its job and LET THE COMMUNITY DECIDE AT THE BALLOT BOX. We CANNOT WAIT another year.

The police cannot be reformed. Cutting out the minimum number of police is not enough, we need to get rid of MPD as a required department if we’re ever going to move away from violent policing. FOR THE SAKE OF BLACK LIVES AS WELL AS THOSE OF THE POLICE

Ward 1

7/21/2020 5:56:48 PM

I support you moving the proposed amendment to the Minneapolis City Charter - to remove the MPD as a required City Department and establish a new Department of Public Safety and Violence Prevention, and to give the city council authority over the department - to a ballot vote in November. The mayor is elected by the whole city which is a majority white. Giving authority to the council will give comminutes of color a chance to elect leaders responsible for public safety and to hold them accountable. There are better ways to approach public safety, and changing the charter will allow us to move forward.

Ward 8

7/21/2020 5:57:06 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxx and I am a white female who resides, teaches, and coaches in ward 4. I support the Charter Amendment to move to the ballot in November. I have never felt unsafe in my home or at work. I will continue to feel safe with or without the presence of MPD. However, our Black neighbors and students do not feel safe. Even beyond policing - the fact we live in a food dessert, job dessert, and that health and social services are widely unavailable and inaccessible. How we define "safety" is a racially biased concept formed by our whiteness. We need to listen and elevate the voices of those who feel unsafe. The way to do that is to allow the opportunity to vote on this matter because I am seeing Black voices are largely invisible on the Minneapolis Charter Commission.

Ward 4

7/21/2020 5:59:28 PM

Ward 5

7/21/2020 6:05:58 PM

My name is xxxxx and I have been a resident of Minneapolis for 6 years, living both in Ward 8 and Ward 2.

As a swim instructor and coach, I know very well that you cannot learn how to swim if you don't let go of the wall. In the same regard, you cannot attempt to build a healthy, safe and lasting community for ALL if you hold onto the very thing that continues to toxify, target, and murder its Black, Brown and Indigenous members.

The waters are new, but there is a community of great coaches out there ready to be asked to help. Let go of the wall, amend the charter, remove the police and we will learn to swim.

Thank you for your time,

Ward 2

7/21/2020 6:06:02 PM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November.The people of Minneapolis deserve the chance to craft something better than policing. Too much violence and death has been allowed to go unchecked. We need change now. We need you to give us this chance.

Ward 1

7/21/2020 6:06:16 PM

I support the amendment to the City Charter and that this amendment should be on the ballot this November. Residents of Minneapolis, not a group of appointed charter commissioners, should be the ones to decide how our city prevents violence, invests in communities, and provides public safety - all through the lens of racial justice. By putting the amendment on the ballot this November, our city's residents can take their first step in creating a better, safer and more equitable Minneapolis through their right to vote. Not allowing us to vote on this charter amendment will continue to oppress our neighbors, friends, families, and community members because keeping the charter as is (or the lack of ability to vote for change this year) maintains the status quo, and this status quo is not working and has not worked for many residents in our city. I strongly believe Minneapolis needs a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department – the current and historical police department has made very little progress in meeting the needs of our residents, and instead uses their power (which is tied to the city's charter) to instill fear in our neighborhoods and arrest, assault, and kill Minneapolitans of color. Our city council, not the mayor, needs to have control over this new department so that the proper experts can work to create safety, violence prevention, mental health intervention, substance abuse intervention, and many other types of services to our residents.

I support the charter amendment being included on the November 2020 ballot and urge the commission to vote for this to be referred to our ballots. By not doing so, the commission is making a statement that the residents of our city do not have a place in government, and that they support a violent, intimidating body of city employees who wreak havoc on our communities.

Ward 7 7/21/2020 6:08:12 PM

Hello,

I'm a community member and want to strongly voice my opinion in favor of this amendment. With how it's currently run, the balance between how the MPD has aided the city versus how it has harmed it has been heavily held down by the harm.

With racist roots and union leadership democratically voted in to prove that fact, we need to replace them with proactive safety solutions and not reactive.

Thank you,

Ward 10

7/21/2020 6:09:54 PM

I support moving the current charter amendment language to a vote in November. Citizens deserve a budget that is flexible enough to address our needs. The current charter imposes an arbitrary requirement on the city's budget to fund police at a specific level. Instead, the people and their representatives should decide how much to dedicate to the police.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 6:09:59 PM

A thorough investigation into the death of Floyd George should be made before any further rash actions are taken. The medical report makes it clear that George was not killed by Officer Chauvin, but by a lethal dose of fentanyl . . . administered by whom?

Not that I condone the Israeli technique of kneeling on the heads of Palestinians.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 6:11:31 PM

While systemic racism is a serious problem in Minneapolis, the proposed charter amendment needs to be recognized for what it is: a rushed, poorly thought out grandstanding platform for several of our most divisive and thoughtless council members.

Our city deserves a thorough and careful process for working together to manage our problems. We need to hear all voices, from all corners of the city, and reflect on their concerns. We then need to formulate a plan that allows for lasting change. Putting the charter amendment up for a vote without this process will deny us that opportunity.

Ward 7

7/21/2020 6:14:47 PM

Hello Kevin Reich and others,

Thank you for passing the amendment Friday that amounted to a $605K divestment; this is larger than the amount proposed in Frey’s proposed budget. We must go much further.

I ask you Kevin Reich, to boldy support the amendment that Council Member Cano introduced that would move $500K from MPD to provide resources, training, and supplies to the community groups already doing on-the-ground safety work.

AND

I ask you also support Council Member Cunningham's planned amendment that would move $1.1M into a violence interrupters program through the Office of Violence Prevention.

Stand with your community! Get in RIGHT-RELATION with the community! STOP the violence! USE your power for good!

Sincerely,

NE Resident

Ward 1

7/21/2020 6:17:46 PM

Hi. My name is xxxxxxx. My email is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I am a transgender woman originally from Cleveland, OH. I moved to this city because of it's progressive reputation. One week after arriving here, Thurston Blevins was brutally murdered by MPD. Later that summer, I was laughed at by officers from the second precinct after being maced and raped in my own home. MPD is not only irredeemable, but an active threat against our communities. Please let us vote to remove that organization from our city, and begin recovering and healing.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 6:18:50 PM

Hello Kevin Reich and others,

Apologies, I sent my message to the wrong meeting.

For this meeting my comment is this: I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than policing, we can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way.

Thank you for using your power for good. Move quickly and decisively by listening to your constituents, and putting it on the ballot.

NE Resident

Ward 1

7/21/2020 6:19:54 PM

We need the police. Dearly. Our CM Cunningham does not speak for the majority residents, not even close. He likes to surround himself with people from the north loop and chicago. He attests they are his 'folks' from 'northside' when he speaks and cites unknown data points. DON'T listen to him. Ward 4 knows we need police. Badly.

Ward 4

7/21/2020 6:21:06 PM

I support this amendment. It is a step in the right direction towards equality and true community support and away from the senseless violence of the past. Minneapolis has a chance to lead the county in a movement to disband an institution that seeks to punish rather than protect and serve and has targeted minority communities. The Minneapolis police department is dangerous and does not benefit citizens.

Ward 1

7/21/2020 6:25:18 PM

I don’t want a brutal, unaccountable police department protected in your city charter! Eliminate MPD and create a new civilian-run Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention.

I don’t want more police in your communities! Remove the Charter requirement for the minimum # of police!

We all deserve to be a part of the process, and justice cannot wait another year! Letting the people of Minneapolis vote on the charter respects our democratic right to determine the kind of city we want.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/21/2020 6:28:31 PM

I am in favor of moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. We need something better than the current police force, and the carter, as it stands, is blocking progress.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 6:33:05 PM

Hello, I’d like to open by saying I find you all contemptible, but I’m especially addressing Dan Cohen, Matt Perry, and Andrew Kozak, who as far as I can tell are the ones working hardest to keep the peoples voices being heard. Why is an un-elected body standing in the way of the democratic process? We have been told time and time again, don’t riot, vote. Well that’s what we’re trying to do, and if you silence us now we’ll be right back in the streets, angrier than last time. I live at 3132 Cedar Avenue in south Minneapolis, right off Lake street where the Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets, lethal weapons, at the people of this city. So much of my neighborhood was destroyed. However, I understand that the uprising was simply the people making their voices heard the only way they could, because they've been telling you for years what this police force has been doing to Black people, harassing them, abusing them, killing them daily, and still the peoples voices crying out against this constant injustice have been ignored time and time again. Just like you're trying to ignore them now by blocking this amendment from even being voted on. Let us vote and make our voices heard peacefully. Otherwise, I hope that protesters would choose to go to 1215 Edlin Place, 3104 E Minnehaha Parkway, or 4205 Colfax Avenue S where you three live next time one of these pigs kills someone, because you'll be the one's responsible for it. And Andrew, the reason why you don’t hear equally from both sides on this issue is because there are more of us than you, and you can’t pretend otherwise.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 6:33:22 PM

As an unelected body that is not representative of the city as a whole, the Charter Commission should only be concerned with whether and how the public safety amendment follows the necessary guidelines for being filed, written, and addressing issues within the City's power.

They should not be passing judgement on the content of the amendment. That is in fact the reason that it needs to be on the November ballot, so all residents can evaluate the content. If the Commission does not allow the amendment on the ballot, it will inevitably (and rightly) be seen as a violation of the democratic process.

Let the people vote!

Ward 1

7/21/2020 6:34:10 PM

The City is rushing ahead with this Charter Amendment at a time when it is well documented that naturalization ceremonies are halted due to the pandemic. If this amendment is on the ballot this November the City will be silencing the voices of New Americans eagerly awaiting the ability to take part in the democratic process. Do not conspire with the Trump administration to silence immigrant voices.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 6:35:01 PM

Hello,

While I am for exploring many ways to support safety in Mpls, including education, prevention, discussion, and communication for everyone, I am NOT for any change that would leave out or leave optional a trained and armed police force while guns are available in society for general use, a change which would be irresponsible and naive. Complex social problems are not changed in one administration, no matter how much one wishes it. I do not support constant consulting w/ K. Montgomery or other activists who are not trained in mediation, city administration, and public safety, in matters of city and police dept planning or changes. We should seek to understand the environments of both the police and the public and work toward more educational and interactional opportunities that don't involve crises, for example, walking beat community officers who are more part of the fabric of the neighborhood, conversing and being available for help of all kinds. Education supports shared values about acceptable behavior and discussions about "freedom to" and "freedom from" behavior...how we all impact one another through individual choices. Addiction and poverty seem to be at the root of crime; again, education for literacy, courtesy, shared values of kindness and assistance can be cultivated while people are young. Complex social problems involve complex, multifaced solutions which are incremental, educational, and respectful. Seeking to understand the workplace environment of police officers should be a priority, and changes made there in order to minimize burnout and maximize respect on the job. We all need to understand what we ask our police officers to do in society and when crime is involved. The best way to unite people in shared respect is to strengthen the educational system to offset poverty, ignorance, and habits which may lead to criminal activity...as a society, we need to foreground, value, and sustain our educational systems as a place of equal opportunity for all; this is the underlying solution that will reap benefits for society in all ways. Thank you.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 6:41:36 PM

I am from the Longfellow Community and have lived in Minneapolis for 27 years. I am writing in opposition to the proposed charter amendment to eliminate the police department.

I understand the impulse to 'do something,' in response to the killing of George Floyd and others, and to be seen by the public as making a change. But your obligation, and that of the city council is not to just 'do something.' It is to put forward thoughtful, vetted policies where the pros and cons have been thought through and the nuances fully understood.

I implore the Charter Commission to take the time needed to do the work that the city council didn't bother to do, and fully research the merits and potential consequences. As vague as the proposal is, we already know that it would mark a radical change in the way the city is run.

The killing of George Floyd has re-opened familiar wounds in Minneapolis, and change is indeed required. It would be a mistake, however, to rush a half-formed notion of reform to the voters in response to emotions of grief, passion and impatience. We don't need to just 'do something.' We need to do the right thing, and that takes time, research, consideration of alternatives and debate. Thanks for taking the time to read these comments, and thank you for your service to Minneapolis.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 6:42:19 PM

I do not support the proposed charter amendment in its current form. It was put forward hastily by the Council with no opportunity for public input. Further, it is overly prescriptive with regard to the structure of the proposed public safety department. It's a slap in the face to our city's first Black police chief, and it does not take into consideration the improvements to policing that are likely to result from the reform legislation passed in this week's special session.

I read in one of the local news sources today that an alternative charter amendment had been proposed. The alternative amendment would simply remove the staffing ratio requirement from the charter. Thus, the city would still have a police department, but the Mayor and the Council could allocate resources as warranted between the police department and any new public safety department(s) that may be created.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 6:43:27 PM

I am a homeowner in Kingfield and I am urging you to allow us to vote on the proposed charter amendment this November. Overwhelming numbers of citizens have made their voices heard during your meetings and via comments like this. It is your job to stand in the way of Democracy. If you think there is silent majority who do not want major changes to public safety in MPLS - let us vote and find out.

Ward 8

7/21/2020 6:45:40 PM

I support the reimagination of law enforcement in this city AND an urgent, firm and creative response to the current gun violence on the streets of Minneapolis due to COVID/cancelled school and summer/mass unemployment/civil unrest/structural racism/donald grump implosion of 2020.

In addition, support George Floyd square but have a hard time with some of the autonomous zone energy. As a neighbor to that space it feels like its time to transition it away from what it was and toward something more stable and permanent with staffing from a funded agency, not an ad hoc group of neighbors trying to manage this space a on their own, however noble the efforts. We need backup please and more leadership from our CMs. Thank you

Ward 8

7/21/2020 6:45:57 PM

Ward 8

7/21/2020 6:46:03 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx and I’ve lived in the Twin Cities for more than 20 years. I’m requesting that the charter commission say no to the proposed amendment because it provides no details about what this amendment would do.

-It does not describe a new structure that would change the policing structure we have now.

-It does not address police accountability in any concrete way.

The city council clearly cut and pasted a few words to create this amendment. And that is not enough.

WE NEED COMMUNITY CONTROL OF THE POLICE.

Community members and organizations have already provided a comprehensive proposal. These organizations have already done the hard work and hard thinking about what community control of the police looks like. Do I urge you to vote no on this empty amendment and adopt the structure of the CPAC proposal that has been submitted to the city council by The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar.

Thank you.

7/21/2020 6:57:30 PM

As lifelong resident, business owner and community organizer focusing on public safety for over a decade in South Minneapolis, I am frustrated to hear so many callers asking the commission to "do your job" and "let" the citizens of Minneapolis vote to change such a HUGE part of the public safety infrustructure of our city. Minneapolis residents vote council members in. We vote Mayors in. We advocate for our own interests with those elected officials and expect that they will represent the whole as best as they are able. To act like we (elected officials and residents alike) have not had ample opportunity to participate in the massive change that we need in this city is disingenuous at best. I agree completely that a huge change is needed not only in MPD, but in our collective understanding of the landscape of public safety in this city, state and country. Unraveling the history of racist policing and all it's implications & tangents is an effort that should take longer than 5 months. To do that well, to do that sustainably, will take time, engagement and hard conversations about what we're willing to consent to and participate in as alternatives. Our communities have struggled for too long under quick, patchwork "solutions" and deserve better than what would inevitably come after a vote this November. We deserve time. Thank you.

Ward 9

7/21/2020 6:58:33 PM

This is long overdue. The voters need to have an opportunity to weigh in and decide this important change. It needs to go to the voters in November.

Ward 1

7/21/2020 7:05:47 PM

Please allow the question to be on the ballot so that the people of the city can decide what is in their best interest with regard to public safety moving forward. This is the only way to do this democratically and withthe voice of those who live in Minneapolis.

Ward 6

7/21/2020 7:06:33 PM

I am xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Resident of Minneapolis, Ward 2, Cooper neighborhood.

Thank you Honorable Members of the Commission for reading my comments.

I register my support for the charter amendment because Black lives matter and I urge the city to bring it to a vote by the citizens.

It’s been heartbreaking to witness the inherent racism in the department culminating recently with the tragic death of George Floyd. It’s unacceptable that I hear regularly from Black and Brown friends that they fear the police when they leave their homes; it shouldn’t be this way. On the other hand, I am white and I do not fear for my life.

Furthermore, military-style force was used on protesters in the 3rd precinct during the Black Lives Matter protests, and across the city; police shot tear gas and rubber bullets on peaceful protesters, which accelerated the protest at the 3rd precinct and contributed to the situation getting out of control. I wonder why this wasn’t handled better, and given everything, I’m hesitant to trust the police in its current form as they were so lacking in a community approach.

Let's turn our racist neighborhoods around with a fresh start that prioritizes the safety of Black and Brown people, and with taking the recommended steps to change the city charter to require not a police force, but the type of public safety department which includes much more to support our diverse communities rather than work against them. Starting with the charter is the only way to ensure the efforts do not get jeopardized when people will say down the line, “but the charter requires a police force, so we can’t make changes." Let’s finally walk the talk when we say Black lives matter.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 7:09:23 PM

I am writing in support of allowing the amendment that the city council has proposed to be on the 2020 election ballot.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 7:15:43 PM

Please allow the charter amendment to be on the ballot! The people of Minneapolis deserve to be the ones who decide what safety means here going forward, regardless of the outcome. All we are asking right now is to be able to have a say in what happens. We deserve that say.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 7:18:19 PM

Hello, my name is xxxxxx and I live in ward 10.

I urge you to put this charter amendment on the ballet this fall.

While it is the commissions job to determine if a proposal is appropriate for the charter, it is also the commissions job to guarantee the democratic process that empowers the community to choose what is best for us.

We feel the police have failed to protect and serve us on a micro and macro level. My black and brown friends are pulled over at least once a month for quote unquote “routine traffic stops” that I’m afraid may result in a fatal shooting. I do not want my friends to die at the hands of police.

We cannot wait until another life is unjustly lost before we take action. Our communities are hurting right now.

We needed change yesterday, we demand democracy now,

and we ask that you allow the citizens of Minneapolis to vote for a better tomorrow. Please put this amendment on the ballot and please let us vote in November. Thank you.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 7:28:21 PM

Minneapolis Charter Commissioners,

I support you moving the proposed amendment to the Minneapolis City Charter - to remove the MPD as a required City Department and establish a new Department of Public Safety and Violence Prevention - to a ballot vote in November. This amendment is a critical first step in designing new systems for community-led safety across our city. The murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department has opened my eyes to the terror and trauma that many in our community experience at the hands of the police department. It has also emphasized to me that those of us who live in relative comfort in this city in relation to law enforcement can no longer be complicit in this system. We do not need a militarized police force in this city, we need a department focused on safety and crime prevention. I ask that you as the Charter Commission do your job and put this amendment on the November 2020 ballot so that we as residents of the City of Minneapolis can decide what the future of public safety should look like. Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than policing, we can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way. Thank you for your consideration. T

Take Care,

Ward 12

7/21/2020 7:29:43 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxx and I live in Ward 12. I urge the Commission NOT to put this charter amendment on the ballot in November 2020.

There are a lot of things that need to be taken into consideration for the level of reforms that are needed in Minneapolis. The amendment, as is, is not nearly comprehensive enough for voters to make an informed decision about what public safety looks like going forward, and how it will affect residents for years to come.

Our city is still grieving the death of George Floyd, reeling from the destruction that occurred as a result of the riots, and are also still dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic — including unprecedented unemployment and the loss of many businesses. Decisions made in haste ultimately lead to unintended consequences, which is something the city of Minneapolis cannot afford.

Thank you for your time and your consideration.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 7:36:07 PM

Charter Commission members:

You are not elected officials. You do not represent the voters of Minneapolis. The people of Minneapolis must have their say in considering the proposed charter amendment regarding public safety, as written by the City Council--not your amendment.

At this moment, caller after caller is asking for democracy, for the ability to take part, and that the time is now to reckon with the harm and injustices done by the MPD. This is not an isolated incident, a few bad apples, or a matter of simply the police union. How many stories and lived experiences do you need to hear? How much trauma and pain? Generational pain? The impacted communities of Minneapolis, Black, brown, and Indigenous, cannot wait any longer. It's always: "This is too rushed." These issues around MPD's harm and racism have been ongoing for decades. DECADES. It has to end, and this is the first step in recrafting and moving forward as a citywide community. A ballot is that answer. You are not our representatives. You are not our policy makers.

I truly, truly hope this process can move forward with the proposed charter amendment as stated by the City Council--otherwise, you're knowingly taking part in continuing the abuses from MPD, and, frankly, preventing our ability to take part as the voters of this city.

Finally, stop centering the MPD in your statements. Stop centering the officers. People have died. Our community members have lost family and friends at the hands of the MPD. Know this. Truly understand we can never bring George Floyd back to his family and friends. It never should have happened. None of these abuses should have occurred. We need a new public safety model. This is the first, incremental step to that end. Let us vote.

Sincerely,

Ward 1

7/21/2020 7:48:10 PM

Good evening,

I urge the Minneapolis Charter to vote NO on the proposed amendment on changing the police language in the charter. As a Mpls resident I have seen our city since the charter amendment was pass by the council - dive deep into more crime, shootings and carjackings in and around my neighborhood. Please vote no so we can let the community decide the plan moving forward and the police can get back to work.

Thanks you,

Ward 8

7/21/2020 7:57:04 PM

Let us vote!

Ward 3 7/21/2020 7:58:42 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxx and I live in Ward 12. I am asking the Charter Commission to do its job and allow the people of Minneapolis to vote on the charter amendment this November. As an unelected, non- representative body, the Charter Commission’s job is not to make any decisions on behalf of the people of Minneapolis. The Charter Commission must grant the people of Minneapolis the chance to vote and make a decision by the people, for the people. The charter amendment doesn’t do anything to immediately change policing in Minneapolis, it just opens to the door to new possibilities. This is an exigent issue that the people of Minneapolis have been working on for years. Time is past due for Minneapolis to begin building new, community-driven structures of safety.

Ward 12

7/21/2020 8:06:36 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxx, and I live in Ward 3, Nicollet Island East Bank.

Prior to moving to Minneapolis I lived for 15 years in Oregon, and during that time I saw several ballot initiatives succeed at the polls but fail as laws because they had unintended consequences. It was later determined that the shortcomings of these well-intentioned ballot initiatives were likely due to not passing through the legislative committee review process.

I urge the Charter Commission to do your job and not succumb to the people who are pleading with you to “just let us vote.” Please review the proposed amendment carefully and don’t let an unnecessarily specific portion of the charter be replaced by something that is potentially vague and open to interpretation. At a minimum, please write a public document that summarizes any concerns that the commission might have about how the amendment will function if it is enacted.

Thank for your time and for your service to the community.

Ward 3

7/21/2020 8:08:49 PM

The most recent killing of an innocent, unarmed Black man by the MPD focused the world's attention on the decision this commission will make about this amendment. His killing speared protests all over the world, in anger and sorrow at the wanton, unchecked brutality of the officers who murdered him and the naked racism it expressed. There are very few places on Earth where the police are as militarized, as overfunded, as unconnected to the communities they serve and as untrained as they are in our country - and none of them have low crime and high standards of living, strong social safety nets and healthy, peaceful societies.

In many large urban centers around the globe, multiple races co-exist with much higher degrees of peace and safety than we do here. Toronto is home to the one of the widest immigrant populations in the world, more than 200 languages are spoken there, and its violent crime rate pales besides those of our major cities. None are perfect or perfectly free of racial and ethnic tension, but all prove beyond a shadow of doubt that such peace is possible and in fact is commonplace.

This amendment does nothing more than move this city closer to the simple reality of peace the rest of the Western social democracies have. By funding mental health and addiction services, housing and education, by dismantling an institution born of slave-catching and immune to each and every reform attempted in its 150 year history, and creating in its place a department of community health and safety, we would literally only be catching up to the rest of our peers.

The people of this city deserve the right to vote on what directly affects our safety and peace. There is no definition of democracy which includes a charter commission blocking the outpouring of state, city council, and city public support for a new department by refusing to allow a vote. There are very few things the world is likely to remember about Minneapolis besides whether we dismantle the MPD and replace it with the social services that are so glaringly missing here. It's probably rare that a charter commission has such an enormous responsibility to its city, to represent its country to the whole world. But you do. Send this amendment to ballot, and on to history.

Thank you,

Ward 7

7/21/2020 8:15:44 PM

Ieave the city charter alone! Just take a close look at what the city of Mpls. Has become under its current leadership .Disgracefull ! If your hell bent on change , Channge the current leadership from the top to the very bottom first !Then and only then look into change .

Ward 2

7/21/2020 8:16:21 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx. I live in the Powderhorn Neighborhood in Ward 9. I call for community control of the police and re-investing resources for Public Safety. I want to vote for an amendment to the charter in November.

However, I would VOTE NO to the proposed amendment, WE SHOULD BE VOTING FOR A CIVILIAN POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY COUNCIL. Your current proposal needs to be re-written with meaningful language that serves the community. We don't need time to build a plan, it has already BEEN CREATED BY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE TWIN CITIES COALITION FOR JUSTICE 4 JAMAR or Communities United Against Police Brutality. Organizers & Families Suffering from Police Violence have been calling for CPAC for YEARS. The Charter Solution does not create accountability and will just rebrand MPD. The current proposal needs to be thrown away, and be re-presented with Data Driven Solutions from the Community & CPAC oversight to create accountability. WE WANT DIFFERENT ELECTED LEADERS TO DISCIPLINE & HIRE POLICE. The City Council has failed for years to address this issue, you've lost your chance to create systems of safety. Hand it over to the community. The community should be voting for CPAC to create democratic accountability in our neighborhoods! Not on your proposed amendment which merely consolidates more power to the City Council. Thank you for your time Ward 9 7/21/2020 8:17:24 PM

I waited for 2 hours and since I was #166 I didn't get to speak tonight. I live in Longfellow. I don't support the charter amendment. Instead I support TC Coalition for Justice for Jamar's demand for community control of the police.

I don't support the charter amendment because it is window dressing. It doesn't do anything to hold police accountable. It doesn't advance the city's need to fire cops who murder black and brown people. It wouldn't empower anyone to discipline officers like the ones that killed Jamar Clark or George Floyd. It would be better to change the charter to just not list a specific number of cops for the city.

This amendment makes it appear like the city of Mpls is making real change and I'm worried that it is really an attempt to take the wind out of the Black Lives Matter movement.

I would rather have a vote on something that would actually protect us from police violence.

Sincerely,

Minneapolis resident

Peace with Justice,

Ward 2

7/21/2020 8:24:36 PM

My name is xxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 8:28:25 PM

I was signed up to speak this evening but I missed when I was called. Here is what I was ready to say: Good afternoon members of the commissioners office, my name is Toby, I am a youth worker and I live in south Mpls. I am calling in support of the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. I find it abhorrent and slimy that you are expecting people to convince you in a 2-minute time slot or less that they, their families, and their communities don’t deserve to die at the hands of the police. That is not a democratic process, shame on you. You are supposed to be listening to what your communities are demanding. Listen to us because we are telling you that we want a new model of safety. Black lives matter, indigenous lives matter, trans lives matter. Thank you.

Ward 9 7/21/2020 8:29:29 PM

I was scheduled to speak at the July 21 Charter Commission meeting, but we ran out of time. It was great to hear the wide range of perspectives (even more reason to let voters decide). Here is my comment that I was going to say:

Hi, my name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx, I grew up in Minneapolis and I currently live in Ward 2. I support the charter amendment proposed by the City Council. I urge the commissioners to submit their recommendations in time for the City Council to decide if the question is referred to the voters. I can understand the fear of rushing things through without understanding the impact this change may have. However, I can also tell you that the system we currently have, today, is killing and harming people in our community. You’ve seen the news. Killing is not an exaggeration. If this process is delayed, how many people will be killed? How many people will be harmed? Please, submit your recommendation in time for us to decide on the November ballot. We want to choose for ourselves what community safety looks like in our city. Thank you.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 8:47:40 PM

I was born and raised in Minneapolis, and my family lives in Ward 13. I am a lifelong liberal democrat, for what that is worth.

I support the efforts to reform the MPD currently undertaken by Chief Arradondo and Mayor Frey. When our reform minded chief and mayor requested 400 additional police officers to hold criminals accountable to the laws we all must follow, I was distressed to see our City Council only authorize 8 of those 400 required additional officers. Now the blood of innocent Minneapolis citizens is on our city council members' hands as we read about neighbors refusing to call the police when confronted with crime, and trying to intercede on their own, and paying for their efforts with their lives.

The city of Minneapolis desperately needs more police, not less. Our police department needs more funding, not less. Our police department needs our support. Crime is out of control in our city, and our council is complicit in letting it grow unchecked.

At a time when our businesses are suffering extreme stress, they need their customers to feel safe when visiting. In addition to our violent crime growth, property crimes are also impacting our citizens' sense of safety, well being, and quality of life. Criminals must be held accountable for crimes they commit, regardless of race or economic status.

Our police department must be reformed. Bad officers must be held accountable, and removed when warranted, just as criminals must also be held accountable.

I trust Chief Arradondo to do the job. I support our chief. I support fully funding our police department. I support funding social programs to help our citizens in need. I support racial justice. I do not support defunding the police and I strongly oppose abolishing the MPD.

Ward 13

7/21/2020 8:50:05 PM

I submitted a comment a couple weeks ago, but would like to reiterate that I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. I want the people of Minneapolis to have the space to build something better than policing. Thanks.

Ward 10

7/21/2020 9:14:35 PM

Dear Charter Commission members,

I’m writing today to urge you to advance the proposed amendment to the Minneapolis City Charter – to remove the Minneapolis Police Department as a required City Department and establish a new Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention – to the November 2020 ballot. Minneapolitans have been voicing their concerns about policing for years. In the nearly two months since George Floyd’s murder, these concerns have bubbled into conversations in every neighborhood, among family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. We are not united in how best to move forward, yet advancing this measure to the ballot is an essential next step in continuing this conversation. In a presidential election year, turnout in Minneapolis is likely to be at its peak. If ever there were a time for a ballot measure to capture the greatest input, this is it. Let us vote.

Do not delay the process. Complete your evaluation with the urgency required, and advance the Amendment to the Charter so that it can indeed be a question on the ballot this November.

Kind regards,

Ward 7

7/21/2020 9:25:50 PM

I strongly support you moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. This decision needs to be made by the people of Minneapolis and no one else. Every person wants and needs to feel safe, but for so many of us, the current system is actively unsafe and violent. Minneapolis is a creative and innovative place, and it's time for us to pave the way forward for a new future of public safety, one that relies on genuine community input and not on people coming from outside of our city to police us. The time is NOW!

Ward 10

7/21/2020 10:20:15 PM

Hi my name is xxxxxxxxxxxx. I support putting forward the City Council question on the ballet to let the voters decided. Please don't add any other questions on the ballot.

Ward 2

7/21/2020 11:04:00 PM

Dear Charter Commission,

I do not support putting the Public Safety Charter Amendment on the November 2020 ballot. Here's why:

1). This amendment is not just about defunding the police. At its core, it is about permanently expanding the power of The City Council under the guise of police transformation. It is about changing the structure of city government. A person has to read the fine print to understand this. Better yet, our leaders need to be transparent about it. Neither is happening today. The City Council is using this amendment as cover for a power grab - in a time of crisis, no less. Clever yet alarming, self-serving and undemocratic.

2) There is no plan to vote on - just a desire to dismantle the only law enforcement structure Minneapolis has today. There is no plan for what the new Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention might look like, except for tactical matters such as what qualifications the director will not have. A new job description does not a community safety department make. Citizens need a plan that is actionable - one that outlines strategy, structures, cost and timing - just like any legitimate project. Does our current City Council lack the horsepower to create this plan? Or perhaps the will? Yes and yes. Either way, why do we think that giving the Council additional responsibility is a good idea when they are clearly incapable of handling their current governing responsibilities? A vote with no plan is backward, dangerous and premature.

3) There has been no community input. As Nekima-Levy Armstrong points out in a July 2 Star Tribune article, "They [the City Council] have shown a complete disregard for the voices and perspectives of many members of the African American community...We have not been consulted as the city makes its decisions, even though our community is the one most heavily impacted by both police violence and community violence.” Again, whom does the City Council represent? Clearly its own best interests. Meanwhile, we are living through one of the most violent summers on record in the city's history. The people who suffer most deserve to have their voices heard before any voting takes place. They are the ones who matter here.

4). There is no analysis of the financial or racial equity implications of the proposed change. A key input to any plan is understanding trade offs, risks and benefits. To my knowledge, this data does not exist. How can we possibly make good decisions about anything without understanding facts and alternatives?

Approval of the Public Safety Charter Amendment is taking our beautiful city further from a future I want to contemplate. The City Council needs to DO THE WORK and show its citizens a plan that's worth voting on. Target November 2021, not November 2020.

Thank you for considering this comment.

Ward 9

7/22/2020 5:39:04 AM

It's time to defund and dissolve the Minneapolis Police Department. I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. Although I don't reside in Minneapolis proper, I am a constituent of Plymouth, MN 55441. Don't let the charter stand in the way. Let the people of Minneapolis lead the way in developing an innovative, twenty-first century solution to public safety. It's time.

I don't reside in Minneapolis 7/22/2020 7:20:09 AM

Don't touch the charter, we need a larger Police force..... things are terrible out there, we don't feel safe anymore...we need a expanded police force and better training for our police..... don't enable the terrorist....

Ward 2

7/22/2020 7:38:19 AM

I am saying NO to the charter amendment. Minneapolis cannot continue to pretend to make change within the racist and violent MPD. The proposed charter amendment is just that, it’s not something that will bring real, important, and much needed change within our community. As a white person, I am lifting up the voices of our Black and Brown community by saying NO to the charter amendment.

Ward 4

7/22/2020 7:43:58 AM

As the Commission forms its position, comments should be evaluated on a level playing field. Comments submitted by an individual through email, like this are as valid as someone speaking at a public meeting, who possibly purports to be the “leader” of some group. All residents of Minneapolis are entitled to have their views considered equally.

The Commission should take the time it needs to form well thought through admendment(s). Getting it right for this very important issue is more important than any deadline, whether the November election, city council processes, meeting schedules or anything else.

The Commission should continue to come up with its own proposal(s) and put them on the ballot if desired. It should not submit to pressure from some City Council members to focus on only their proposal. The recent proposal circulating in the Commission has a lot of merit; leave the present management structure and roles of the mayor, city council and police chief similar to what they presently are now and eliminate the requirement for a certain number of officers per capita. That is a much purer and intellectually sound solution. Let the budget process control police expenditures as would be done for other city departments. It preserves a management structure that is accountable, not a new nebulous management by committee while allowing the council and mayor to take budgets, staffing level and policy wherever they choose.

Any amendments(s) put on the ballot must be clear not only in language, but the intent also needs to be clear to the lay person (which is almost everyone) that may vote. It should not take an attorney to understand the intent. To me an egregious example of ambiguity is the present amendment suggested by some city council members that states the council MAY decide to keep licensed officers. An amendment provision like that should explicitly state that the city council would be conveyed a new right to eliminate some or all licensed officers. A voter should not have to find the “may” within the amendment and then assess its conditional meaning. The Commission should assure that intent is stated in plain, clear language. Some people may see the details of the amendments for the first time when they vote and are entitled to a clear, understandable explanation.

Ward 3 7/22/2020 7:52:17 AM

"My name is xxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 8

7/22/2020 8:00:29 AM

I see superficial outreach on a very compressed schedule (that is motivated by political deadlines, like getting it on a ballot) and with no meaningful work with historically marginalized communities. The inputs well illustrate how effective the outreach has been. There is little input from Wards 4 or 5, which is not unexpected since minimal outreach has been attempted in these consistently underrepresented populations. The city council took advantage people's emotions in the heat of the moment and used this time for a power grab!

It is up to the Charter Commission to recognize the failure in outreach, consistent with the Minnesota Open Meetings Act (as well as the Minnesota Human Rights Act), and to encourage the authors of the amendment to make a heartier effort to hear from those most impacted by these changes.

I am against this charter amendment. If this is pushed through and shoved down our throats, I will be taking my tax dollars and money to a neighboring suburb. I have lived in Ward 5 for 22yrs. I love my home and it is nearly paid off and now because of 13 clowns on a power grab, I now have to look for someplace to relocate but not before I vote no on this amendment if it is rushed to the ballot.

Ward 5

7/22/2020 8:21:26 AM

I am a resident of Minnetonka but work in Minneapolis and was a resident from 2007 to 2019. I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than policing. We can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way! There is no time to waste as BIPOC people continue to be murdered on the streets.

Thank you,

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/22/2020 8:49:52 AM

Thank YOU!

Ward 12 7/22/2020 8:50:34 AM

I am not in favor of amending the city charter as proposed.

-The imbalance of power is already too great in favor of the city council against the mayor, and this weakens it further.

-I think we should maintain the obligation to have a police force and work extremely hard to reform it within the current structure. I would be willing to pay more taxes to do it.

-I do not think that the plans (ideas?) presented for a new "holistic, community-based" approach to public safety are concrete enough to give me any confidence that they would work. Substantially more thought, conversation and analysis needs to be done first.

-I urge that this not be put on the ballot this fall, and if it is, I will vote against it.

Ward 2

7/22/2020 8:57:11 AM

Hi,

I oppose rushing through a charter amendment when the city council has no clear plan on what they want to do and how it will be funded. Why don't we have the vote in 2021 so the council can put together a well thought out plan. I oppose any action that would abolish or dismantle the police force. I would support adding counselors, social workers, etc to a community plan that helps the police force in non-emergency situations.

Ward 10

7/22/2020 9:10:20 AM

I want to state my support of the proposed amendment to the Minneapolis City Charter to remove the MPD as a required City Department, with the purpose of putting it to a ballot vote in November. Our city, like many many other cities, is seriously dysfunctional when it comes to making sure that all residents feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods. This is an opportunity to show the rest of the country that there is another way of keeping the public safe, and to make good on the promises we made in the wake of George Floyd's murder at the hands of MPD. We are looking to you to lead the way.

Ward 9

7/22/2020 9:38:45 AM

I support the Charter Commission's proposal over that of the City Council. I believe it will allow for truly significant reform and the reallocation of resources that I feel is probably appropriate. Though I remain open to City Council presented ideas, I am not comfortable with locking in to a plan of action without a detailed plan which has not yet been determined.

Ward 8

7/22/2020 9:40:40 AM

Right now, the most urgent need in Minneapolis is providing free housing for those who don't have a safe place to stay. We have the money to do this, but it is tied up in the police budget. Please cut enough from MPD to ensure no one has to live outdoors in Minneapolis. This change will do more to protect our residents and our city than the police department has ever done.

Ward 10

7/22/2020 9:45:44 AM

Dear Minneapolis Charter Commissioners,

I’m writing today to urge you to advance the proposed amendment to the Minneapolis City Charter - to remove the Minneapolis Police Department as a required City Department and establish a new Department of Public Safety and Violence Prevention - to the November 2020 ballot. This amendment is a critical first step in designing new systems for community-led safety across our city.

We do not need a militarized police force in this city; we need a department focused on safety and crime prevention. Too many lives are lost and damaged by reacting, instead of putting those same dollars into preventing crime. Of course there are many details to be worked out, as we try to envision and create a new way to make our communities free of police brutality, intimidation, and crime, and safer for all residents.

However, advancing this measure to the ballot is an essential next step in continuing this conversation.

I ask that you as the Charter Commission put this amendment on the November 2020 ballot so that we as residents of the City of Minneapolis can decide what the future of public safety should look like. Give the people of Minneapolis the space to craft something better than policing. Let us vote. Do not delay the process. Complete your evaluation with the urgency required, and advance the Amendment to the Charter so that it can be on the ballot this November. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Whittier resident

Ward 10

7/22/2020 9:56:02 AM

I urge you to allow the proposed charter amendment to create a new charter department on community safety and violence prevention and remove the police department form the Charter.

This issue of removing the existing police department is one the voters in Minneapolis should have a chance to debate and vote on in the coming election.

If Charger Commission fails to let it move to a vote, it will only add fuel to the perception among many residents and communities of color that their voices aren't worth listening to and don't matter.

Please let it for forward for a vote this November.

Ward 7 7/22/2020 10:16:18 AM

I support the council's proposed amendment. It is flexible, and we need it. Don't let comments written by many who do not live here to sway your decisions.

Ward 9

7/22/2020 10:53:16 AM

I support the charter as written by the city council members. We deserve an opportunity to vote on this charter this year.

Ward 9

7/22/2020 11:15:07 AM

Yes I agree to remove the funding requirement in this charter amendment. Thank you for putting in the time to write this amendment for the wellbeing of our city.

Ward 3

7/22/2020 11:21:57 AM

I'm a resident of Minneapolis writing in support of allowing the City Council's proposed charter change to move forward to the ballot. The Council is responding to the situation on the ground in a responsible way, and as the elected representatives of our city, they are doing what is being asked of them by residents throughout our city.

The actions of the Minneapolis Police Department are what have brought us to this moment. For too long, they have violated the public trust and corrupted their responsibility to protect and serve our community, and the charter as currently constructed blocks the steps necessary to make this change.

The residents of Minneapolis deserve the opportunity to decide if this is the right approach, and the only way to do so is to allow this vote to proceed, with the proposal put forth by the Council. I encourage you to allow it to move forward.

Best,

Ward 10

7/22/2020 11:58:50 AM

I support the amendment allowing the creation of a new public safety department.

Once the charter is amended, it will be very important to plan the services of that department. Armed officers will still be needed. I also hope there is a focus on restorative justice.

Ward 3

7/22/2020 12:01:01 PM

I think this amendment, as written, is poorly conceived and poorly written.

If it is to go forward, I suggest these two changes: In section 7.3 (a) (1), remove this sentence:

"Individuals eligible to be appointed as director will have non-law enforcement experience in community safety services, including but not limited to public health and/or restorative justice approaches."

In section 7.3 (b), change the word "may" to "must" so it would read like this:

"Division of Law Enforcement Services. The Council MUST maintain a division of law enforcement services, composed of licensed peace officers, subject to the supervision of the department of community safety and violence prevention."

Ward 11

7/22/2020 12:05:34 PM

The second proposed charter amendment is better then the first but it has not convinced me to vote for either. Our current police force far exceeds the minimum requirement. Why not drop the force to the minimum and redirect the savings to other options for crime prevention and measure the effect of the change. If it works then come back to the voters for an amendment change.

Right now it appears we need more police, not less.

Ward 1

7/22/2020 12:18:32 PM

The police department definitely needs to be reformed; there is no doubt in anybody's mind. This has been a long time coming; we wouldn't be in the mess we are in now if everyone would've listened to voices in the BLM movement. Get rid of Kroll, bust up the union if that's what it takes. Get rid of police officers with excessive use of force records. Do not defund the police. If anything money should be pouring into MPD so the officers can have a lot of support by mental health experts, chemical dependency teams, social workers, psychologists. When there is a huge problem taking away funding just makes it worse. Help the police by adding services not taking them away. Shifting the control from MPD/mayor to the city council is absolutely no guarantee of a change. Who will be on the city council in a few years from now? Could the situation get worse, depending on who is on the city council? Why have civilians in charge? Chief Arrandondo should be in charge with support from the mayor and the city council. The council members have stepped on his back and charged right over him which is ironic considering the situation. Another irony is that the city council had a knee jerk reaction to protesters without any consultation with minority leaders. Invite everyone to the table if you are making such drastic changes. These drastic changes will have the largest negative impact on minority communities; the very communities that the city is currently trying to protect

Ward 7

7/22/2020 12:24:16 PM

I am not a proponent of this amendment to defund the police and take away the ratio of police support to city resident. I moved here less than a year ago and would not have moved if these changes were part of my understanding in wanting to be in a safe city. I am a strong proponent of change - in fact the highest change needs to be in moving to a non-union police force and encoring discipline and a pay for performance culture. I am also a supporter of a dept focused on safety in the city, but not to negatively impact our current police protection to citizens.

Ward 3

7/22/2020 12:29:39 PM

Attachment:

Comments before the City Charter Commission on the City Council’s proposed amendment to Articles VII and VIII the City Charter Thanks for giving me the opportunity to provide comments on the City Council’s proposed City Charter Amendment regarding the police department. I am a retired attorney who practiced in municipal law and public finance—which doesn’t mean my comments deserve special weight. My background just means that I have more than ordinary experience with--and a passionate interest in--this topic.

Almost everyone agrees that deep, significant reform of the police department is needed, and long overdue. What we need, right now, is a thorough process to effectuate reform. This includes research; outreach to all stakeholders; public hearings; well-developed analysis of the options and the pros and cons of each. The result of that process will certainly include an amendment to the city charter.

The City Council has proposed to amend the charter immediately, and come back later to work out the details. I understand that desire—many people object that the process I described takes too long, we’ve done studies for years, nothing ever happens, it’s time for immediate action, et cetera. I don’t dismiss that sentiment—we shouldn’t forget Martin Luther King’s 1963 letter from the Birmingham jail, where he chastised moderate white pastors for complaining about moving too fast. His reply: “For years now I have heard this word ‘Wait.’ …. This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’”

But King was also a keen strategist. He did not seek a complete overhaul of voting and civil rights legislation in a matter of weeks. Civil disobedience–which is what the white pastors were complaining about--was one prong in a multi-faceted, long-term campaign to defeat the Jim Crow laws and secure civil rights for African Americans.

In my view, the process I’m talking about is consistent with King’s vision. Overhauling the police department need not—and definitely should not—take years. But it can’t—and definitely should not— be done in a matter of weeks, by enacting a comprehensive city charter amendment as the very first step.

The proposed amendment leaps to all sorts of conclusions, which may or may not be “good” ones. What respective roles should the council and mayor play in the department? What are the core functions of the department? What duties and training should officers have? How about the department head? I have my own ideas (and biases) on these matters, but that’s beside the point right now. The immediate point is that these are all complex questions, about which there is no current consensus (or even plurality), even among the communities most negatively affected by the historic practices of police department. So, to submit to voters—three months from now--a comprehensive charter amendment that seems to settle many of these questions, is a very bad idea. A quick vote is seductive—it feels good. It feels like we’re finally doing something. But I fear that it risks even worse trouble down the road. With no time for true reflection, understanding, and buy-in by a cross- section of Minneapolis citizens, the charter amendment could jeopardize the true reform that is desperately needed.

But the charter commission itself has offered an alternative amendment, which I think strikes the perfect balance—listening to King’s message from Birmingham, without getting caught in the trap set by the city council’s instant reform. The charter commission has proposed leaving existing Section 7.3 of the charter as is for now, but eliminate paragraph (c), which sets the funding formula for the department.

This proposal has two main virtues: first, that provision has never been appropriate in the city charter, which as commissioners know, is more like a constitution than an ordinance. The charter is not the place to specify specific administrative rules and financing mechanisms—that’s the stuff of ongoing governance, subject to changing facts and circumstances. That’s why we have an elected mayor and city council, and legislative procedures to enact ordinances and rules, and adjust them as the need arises.

Second, paragraph (c) can indeed be removed right now—this November—without impairing the reform process I described above. That removal will provide the Mayor and council some immediate flexibility— and provide the evidence that we, as a city, are serious about moving forward with the difficult decisions ahead.

So: I strongly urge the Charter Commission to move forward with your amendment (removing funding clause of Section 7.3) at the November election; and to postpone consideration of any larger amendment until a thorough and equitable reform process has occurred. There is no reason that such process could not be complete in time for a comprehensive charter amendment in November, 2021.

The worst result would be to submit both the City Council’s and the Charter Commission’s amendments on this November ballot. That would be tremendously confusing to voters, and actually an abdication of responsibility on the part of elected officials. I realize that this comment is more directed at the council than at the charter commission, but I hope that the record of public comments before the Charter Commission resonates with the council as well.

Respectfully submitted by:

xxxxxx xxxxx

xxxx xxxxxxx xxxx

Minneapolis, MN 55406

Ward 12

7/22/2020 12:36:39 PM

I do not support a Community Safety and Violence Prevention Department. This seems to be aligned with s specific group of people who do not represent a majority of Minneapolis residents. Why add another bureaucratic layer for something that does not concern all residents nor all neighborhoods. These type of things need to be dealt with in the neighborhoods with the families and people concerned not a paid city of Minneapolis Dept. that represents all. Adding expenses to our budget when we are hemoraging money due to business’s leaving an unsafe city, needing to rebuild what rioters burned and destroyed and huge payouts threaten to bankrupt Minneapolis seems like pandering to demands of a relatively small group. This doesn’t make any sense

Ward 1

7/22/2020 12:46:11 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment as soon as possible this is not an issue that can wait. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 2

7/22/2020 12:53:04 PM

I believe that the MPD needs to be reformed:

-Hiring practices need to ensure that new officers have the right personality to be in law enforcement

-Police union seems to have to much power in that bad cops can stay on and continue to cause issues and corrupt other officers

-Chief Arradondo needs a chance to have more control.

-More support to police needs to be provided for certain types of 911 calls.

-Banning of chokeholds etc. per MN legislature.

-Other items per the expertise in and outside the community.

I do believe that this whole abolish police plan was stated in haste to pander to some voices and it was completely reckless. There is no replacement plan. There is a whole ton of crime, shootings, car jackings, gang robberies and other really bad activity going on in Mpls right now. I'm sorry but there are people of all color and income levels that don’t feel safe right now with all of this going on. Business need to feel like their property and employees will be safe. People need to be able to feel safe going to our wonderful arts, theater, sports, restaurants etc. in areas around Mpls. There is no way I would vote to abolish what we have without seeing what a replacement plan would look like. And so far everyone I have talked to feels the same way.

The other thing that I completely disagree with is that the “Public Safety Department” would report to the city council. That is complete crazy. Who would be accountable? No one. That’s how it works when a committee is in charge. The police department should continue to report to the mayor. In fact I would rather the mayor have more power in the Mpls government overall. Lastly I have never in my life thought of buying a gun until the last few months. It seems like I will need to train myself to be ready to provide my own personal security when counselors takes over for armed officers. Really, my choice will be move out of the city or buy a gun if we have no officers who can protect us from the violent criminals that will continue to get more emboldened.

Be sure you are listening to all the voices because it seems you are pushing a narrative based on the loudest voices that are invited to attend your meetings and not all the voices. It will be interesting to see a fair compilation of all the comments submitted to this site.

Ward 7

7/22/2020 1:03:24 PM

I support the charter amendment, the removal of the requirement of a police force and the addition of a community safety & violence prevention department in its place. I believe it is necessary to build new systems of violence prevention & community accountability rooted in proven strategies. It is immoral and unethical to continue to pour collective resources into a police force that relies on strategies of bullying, violence, and physical domination over others when we know from literally centuries of experience that this strategy only exacerbates violence and makes conditions worse. I am fully in support of divesting $ from police departments and investing in public health and public safety campaigns and projects, including safe & comfortable housing options for all, unconditional health care for all, clean water, and healthy, nourishing food for all. Only until we have ALL of those in place for some time can we actually know if meeting basic needs will mitigate rampant violence and oppression. Please commit to taking this very important step in the direction of such an experiment.

Ward 7

7/22/2020 1:31:01 PM

I support the City Council's amendment to the Charter. I no longer believe the Minneapolis Police Department is capable of enacting meaningful reform. The police department must be totally dismantled and a new community safety and violence prevention department established in its place. Thank you.

Ward 1

7/22/2020 2:01:22 PM

The choice before the Charter Commission is very clear: Either let the people of Minneapolis decide the future of public safety in our city or let the Minneapolis Police Federation continue to run what amounts to a protection racket under the auspices of a city police department.

It is very clear that the leadership of the Minneapolis Police Federation and too many rank and file officers (including those in supervisory roles) place their own professional solidarity and standing ahead of my safety, my family's safety, and the safety of my neighbors, who represent the amazing cultural and racial diversity that makes us stronger.

Council Member Steve Fletcher published a series of tweets that documented the way the protection racket works. Federation leaders meet with council members and make demands. When council members push back, they do so knowing that response times to police calls in their wards. Business owners and residents are told to "call their council member" when this happens, which both dishonestly shifts blame for poor response times and constitutes another gesture of subtle intimidation toward an elected official.

These tweets were clearly not one person's opinion. Instead, current and former council members and Mayors were quick to acknowledge and corroborate Council Member Fletcher's account. At least one former mayor took responsibility for not doing more to disrupt this dynamic.

Too many officers on the street clearly seem to share the view of Federation leadership that their interests, resentments, and anger take precedence over the mandate to protect and serve. That became very clear with events following the murder of George Floyd. I live three blocks from the third precinct. Police meant to protect me were angry the day that four officers got fired for their role in the murder of George Floyd. In the face of a peaceful demonstration, these officers made the decision to escalate the situation, launching tear gas and flash grenades into a crowd that included children and infants. They did so not in service of public safety but in service of their own anger and resentment at their chain of command.

And now, we have 25% of the police force filing disability claims under the auspices of experiencing trauma during the uprising. The intent of this action on the part of Federation members and with the support of Federation leadership is to intimidate residents as they begin a long overdue conversation about creating a community where all of us feel safe, where all of us work together to find solutions to challenges in Minneapolis that should not fall to the police in the first place.

The behavior of the Police Federation and of individual MPD officers who share the federation's perspective is hardly limited to a few bad apples. Instead, it has put in place a de facto set of practices that are carried out every day in neighborhoods across the city. The chance to reconsider our approach to public safety is a chance to address this systemic problem.

If you choose to deny residents the opportunity to vote on this amendment, you are complicit in allowing the Federation to continue to hold our safety and wellbeing as a city hostage. On the other hand, if you allow a vote on the proposal, you create space for a vigorous debate and an opportunity for residents to decide whether or not to take a small step toward reform.

I believe your service on the Commission signals your commitment to the well being of our city and I trust that this core value will lead you to make the right decision.

Ward 2

7/22/2020 2:16:25 PM

I strongly support the proposed charter amendment as written by the council. The charter amendment actually allows the city to look at community-originated and based models of community care and safety.

Ward 2

7/22/2020 3:10:42 PM

We have lived in So Mpls for over 40 years and have never before considered leaving the city. If the police are defunded we will leave, along with many of our friends and neighbors. As a physician and psychologist we have paid property and income taxes to this city since 1970 and believe we are entitled to feel safe in our city. Lisa Bender has actually said on National TV that fear of violence such as an armed home invasion is normal but not being able to call the police is the cost we must pay for being “privileged “. We were outraged at the killing of George Floyd but do not believe defunding(which really amounts to abolishing) is the answer. The lawlessness since Floyd’s death ought to reinforce the need for police. Of course reform is essential but do we really want to go back to neighbors on their roofs protecting their homes as we had to do during the riots when the police weren’t available. We implore the Commission to deny this request to be put on the ballot.

Defunding the police would literally ruin the city. Work on real reform. This is too critical to rush through!

Ward 13

7/22/2020 3:26:21 PM

I urge the Charter Commission to take some action (recommend approval or denial) on the proposed amendment from the City Council. If the Charter Commission also wants to send its own amendment to the City Council, that is fine. The important piece for me, though, is that some action is taken on the City Council's proposed amendment.

Using procedural rules to choose to slow play this amendment does a disservice to the people of Minneapolis. Whether anyone is for or against the amendment becomes somewhat irrelevant if they aren't given the opportunity to vote on the issue because it is mired in discussion at the committee level until after the ballot cutoff date. Though true that the issue could then be voted on in 2021, that delay is a major disservice to this overall discussion.

Please take action in a timely manner to allow the City Council to move it to the ballot if they see fit. Thank you.

Ward 10

7/22/2020 3:34:51 PM

I support the proposed charter amendment as written by the council.

We desperately need a new mode of community safety, and need news ways of envisioning what that looks like. The policing system is dangerous to so many in our community and it has proven itself un- reformable.

Ward 2

7/22/2020 3:38:21 PM

I support the City Council's proposal to remove the MPD from the Charter. The opportunity for citizens' voices to be heard and real change to be made is right now, we just need to ammend the outdated Charter which keeps up obligated to systems the people don't trust.

Ward 8

7/22/2020 3:41:13 PM

Our neighborhoods are not safe with the militarized police and their clear agenda of maintaining the agenda of white supremacy. The fact that we are paying tax dollars and have to live in fear for our lives is an injustice to all BIPOC living in this city. Community support will address the root issues of poverty, not militarized force. Its time to fond a new way to solve the problem, because this way has not worked for black and brown bodies. Only white ones.

Ward 4

7/22/2020 3:44:05 PM

Ward 10

7/22/2020 3:51:45 PM

I support the proposed amendment, and urge the council to implement it and support its implications. It is far past time to reimagine how safety is ensured in the city, and where law enforcement exists within the web of social, economic, and health (including mental health) issues that affect our communities. This is about more than training or policies, it's about focus, priorities, and allocation of resources. Our communities would be far better served by people trained in mental health, social services, and deescalation of violence, than by a police department more concerned with order than with justice, and more equipped to escalate than to de-escalate conflict. Thank you for starting this process; it's well past time.

Ward 12

7/22/2020 4:24:19 PM

Please consider the statement against passage of the charter amendment on the Communities United Against Police Brutality website, accessed here: cuapb.org

There is NO REASON why the MPD cannot be significantly reformed under our current City Charter, with the exception of perhaps requiring fewer sworn officers. I do not understand why the City Council wants to FIRST amend the charter, then have a "year long community conversation". We don't have time to wait! I am not aware of any meaningful changes attempted in the last 20 years, by this or any other Minneapolis City Council, so for Council President Bender to say " there are no other options, we've tried to reform the department, it hasn't worked" sounds false.

There are serious issues of accountability with the proposed charter amendment as written. How could both the new department director and head of policing have 13 city council bosses and the mayor, too? The real heart of the matter is WHO we hire to be officers, and HOW WE TRAIN them. This charter amendment does nothing to address these issues. Changing the organizational chart and having fewer officers does not get bad cops off the streets and off the force.

Please do not bow to political pressure.

Ward 8

7/22/2020 4:35:11 PM

except from the 1 (Director of community safety and violence prevention in section 7.3

8.4(b). Individuals eligible to be appointed as director will have non-law enforcement experience in community safety services, including but not limited to public health and/or restorative justice approaches.

I think that we do not need to have non-law enforcement specified. It should be more the emphasis on what the individual has, which is the community safety services, with an emphasis in restorative justice and public health practices.

I just think that we should not discriminate, instead put what we want and not what we do not want.

Ward 10

7/22/2020 4:40:16 PM

Overall, I think that these changes are missing a very large change that the community wants. I would like to see a department created that is for the community to raise complaints, review conduct of officers, and give feedback. This could be a new department that is volunteer based, and must meet at least 4 times a year. The volunteers should be from all wards in the city. They will be available to hear grievances for ALL functions of the city.

I would like to also see that there is a change in law suits, and all lawsuits won or lost against any city employee or department must be publicly made available including the amount of money paid out by the city, and the cost for fighting the law suit. names can be redacted, however, department that the person worked in must be visible. And if the department is of one person, move up one department. Right. now the city hides these instances, and it should be made public.

If we have enforcement officers, they must be put on desk leave immediately upon pulling out their gun or any other weapon (taser included).

Thanks

Ward 10

7/22/2020 4:49:39 PM

As a Minneapolis resident, I believe we should be allowed to vote on the amendment to the City Charter to change the structure of policing in our city. It is past due we create a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department and remove the Police Department from the Charter. Let us vote!

I trust and look to the experiences of my fellow Minneapolis residents of color. What is clear is that the Minneapolis Police Department is structurally racist and inflicts violence and terror on people of color and ingenious community members. Our city must work to end structural racism, and the first step towards justice is allowing us to vote on the proposed amendment to the city charter. The charter commission should act urgently and quickly to approve this measure for the ballot. It should not continue to deliberate on issues beyond its charge.

Let us vote!

Ward 11

7/22/2020 5:08:58 PM

Amend the Charter!

Let the people vote on amending the Minneapolis City Charter to allow our Council the flexibility to modernize our public safety commitments away from a militarized police force and into a network of services that SERVE our communities with more tools than a gun and a baton.

Ward 8

7/22/2020 5:25:10 PM

I see this a buying a new car, It does not necessaily chenge How will will do public safety, but we will be able to do thi=gs that whave worked elsewhere.

Ward 3

7/22/2020 5:53:01 PM

Dear Minneapolis City Council,

It is time to divest from MPD and invest in the resources that actually make our community safer. Violence prevention and housing. Employment opportunities and access to healthcare.

I urge you to support CM Camp’s and CM Cunningham’s amendments doing just that.

I urge you to commit to Homes for all - deep investments in affordable housing instead of cuts.

Thank you and sincerely,

Ward 12

7/22/2020 7:50:38 PM

Hello,

I urge the charter commission to move the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November and allow the people of Minneapolis to decide how our public dollars are spent. Please allow us keep our black and brown neighbors safe.

Ward 9

7/22/2020 8:06:37 PM

Healthy and safe communities are possible when the people of this land and on this land are believed in and encouraged instead of criminalized. I encourage you to offer resources to people in our neighborhoods who know how to care for people as gifts instead of as burdens. I hope that you can see this time as an opportunity to become even more a part of your/our community by bringing resources to community instead of to police. As a person living on the land of the Dakota people now known as Minneapolis I hope that you come to decisions that represent my voice and the many voices I hear echoing that we want resources going to housing, art, spirituality, healing, food, accessibility, and prevention instead of to MPD. I support defunding MPD, changing the charter, and letting us vote. Thank you. I hope that you have the supports you need at this time as well.

Ward 10

7/22/2020 8:16:37 PM

As a citizen of Minneapolis, I do not believe that this charter amendment is in the best interest of the citizens of Minneapolis, and therefore strongly oppose it. Since there is no plan or cohesive vision on what the new department is, the people of Minneapolis can not make an informed vote on if they believe this new department is in our best interest. Furthermore, the yearslong process of figuring it all out leaves a lot of uncertainty on the status of the current public safety force that is tasked with protecting the city. This uncertainty is already undercutting the strength and effectiveness of our current public safety department and emboldening the criminal elements of our city, costing lives. This amendment will only further the violence our city is facing today. I encourage the city council to take this year to determine a plan that encompasses a holistic approach that better serves our whole community, then allow the citizens to make an informed vote.

Ward 11

7/22/2020 8:41:04 PM

I oppose the change in the charter that would eliminate police funding requirements. We need to maintain a level of police that exceeds what we have now! The amount of Crime we have now is unacceptable. We need more police!

Ward 7

7/22/2020 9:35:35 PM

Wow, We need to have police to have a quality of life. The idea of 100 untrained men (all men) with concealed weapons as a civilian force to reduce crime is nuts. Guardian Angles (red berets) have been around for decades, in many cities including NYC where they started and Chicago. They reduce the ability of predators to prey on the weak. They have men and women, and experienced patrol leaders. Does the city council think they are inventing something. What we need is reform of police to reduce abuse, and a brand new city council. The city council seems to think the answer is a utopia where no one behaves badly, with a few gentle reminders. Get real. I would never vote for anyone who is involved in this mess.

Ward 13

7/22/2020 9:44:24 PM

Say no to the Minneapolis Charter Amendment on policing. This does not change any of the systemic injustices experiences by BIPOC. It is nothing but changing a name and not changing the system. Reallocate funds from the MPD to support people experiencing homelessness. Create an all-civilian, elected board of community members who have the power to discipline and fire cops, have control over the police budget and training, policy and procedure.

Ward 3

7/22/2020 9:51:04 PM

This should be done with more public input, a better understanding of what people would be voting for and not for political gain. Just say no to amending the charter via this compressed timeline.

Ward 10

7/22/2020 9:58:23 PM

From my experience as an elected official, I learned that as few as 15 smart people can agree on solutions to difficult problems if given the time and resources to work on it. Please do not rush this amendment to the November ballot. There are no quick fixes to police reform.

Ward 7

7/22/2020 10:09:35 PM

don't ask people to make choices with out being able to tell them what they are chosing. Don't get rid of the police with out having a firm program in place to replace it. We already seen what happens when the police "stand down". With out police this whole town will go up in smoke.

Ward 4

7/23/2020 6:09:31 AM

Thank you for this proposed amendment. It is the first step toward the gradual defunding of the police.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 7:10:39 AM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx, I'm a resident of the Whittier Neighborhood in Ward 10. I have lived in this city for 37 years. I was born and raised in Central Minneapolis and spent my 20s in the Midtown Phillips neighborhood. I care about and am deeply invested in Minneapolis.

I am writing today to share many others' support for a charter amendment being added to the ballot.

As a commission, you have an obligation to represent the interests of the residents of Minneapolis. I am aware that you're hearing from many individuals, but it is ESSENTIAL that you are listening to residents of Minneapolis.

I work in systems change in the anti-sexual violence movement. I’ve worked closely with law enforcement agencies throughout Hennepin County, working to train departments on trauma-informed interviewing techniques, the neurobiology of trauma, and how to best work with victims. In three years, I received an unprecedented number of complaints from victims against MPD. Victims who had been ignored, whose cases had not been investigated, whose sexual assault kits sat untested, victims who had been insulted or blamed for their assaults when they were brave enough to report. That is not public safety. It is active harm. It is trauma.

With a charter amendment, the need for bloated employment ranks at the MPD could go toward more advocates who actually work with and support victim/survivors of sexual and domestic violence, trauma, and crime. Comfort them. Help them to heal. Help them to find real and exacting justice outside of a violent criminal justice system. I want to see MPD removed as a "required" city program. I want to dream bigger on behalf of victims. There are many programs, nationally, globally, that have seen incredible results in curbing violent crimes.

Given the violent destruction and displacement MPD has brought to our unhoused neighbors this week, we must consider immediate reparative strategies to INVEST in community members who need access to important social services like public housing, eviction defense, mental health services and other wrap- around solutions. With the ability to meaningful change the charter, we might consider adapting AMI to neighborhoods and locales, rather than city-wide. This could truly help affordable housing developers understand the needs of a neighborhood and stop hiking rents and pricing families out of historically Black and brown neighborhoods.

We cannot keep investing in police officers who take Minneapolis’ budget money to pay taxes and stimulate the economies of outer suburbs. Minneapolis’s budget should bolster and work for citizens of Minneapolis. We need a charter amendment to begin to rightsize our public services.

We need public services that serve the interests and needs of the public.

As the public, I am asking you to ensure we have the right to vote on changing the charter. Not only to change the number of officers required, but the ability to remove MPD as a required program.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 8:00:37 AM

The future of MPD should be decided by the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. Smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission are not acceptable.

Ward 4

7/23/2020 8:00:50 AM

As a young woman and business manager in Minneapolis, I would like to express my utmost support to putting a vote regarding the Minneapolis charter on the ballot. The charter should not be the thing that stands in the way of change and reform - whatever that means. Allowing this to be voted on does not mean that the entire police force will be disbanded...it means as a community we can figure out what policing looks like in a better society. LET US VOTE in 2020!

Ward 13

7/23/2020 8:02:01 AM

I support the proposed council amendment. Yesterday's presentation by the 311 and 911 show that transfer of duties away from MPD is possible. We do not need the police as a required department. We need a public health approach to safety. I trust my ability to participate in the budget and community engagement process to influence what the new department does. (And if they don't listen, I will organize to elect a representative who does!). I am not scared of a city with fewer police, it would actually make me feel safer. Over their past 150 years, police have been an arm of the wealth in Minneapolis (please read the history of the Citizen's Alliance), and consistently voted 2 to 1 for Bob Kroll. That alone shows this is not a few "bad apples."

Please advance the council's amendment as written to the November ballot.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 8:03:21 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. Please let us vote.

Ward 13

7/23/2020 8:03:52 AM

It is time to submit changes to the police department to the voters. We aren’t serving our community safely, responsibly or fairly. How many more of us need killed or beaten before we make changes. I am white, in an upscale neighborhood and saw a black man in cuffs beaten by the police without any consequences to the police. I don’t want this to go on.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 8:05:37 AM

The future of the Minneapolis police department should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not un-elected decision makers. We should have a vote on the amendment to remove the Minneapolis Police Department from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We shouldn't be forced to settle for small, incremental reforms that haven't worked in the past.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 8:07:21 AM

After reading through a selection of the written comments already submitted on this matter I realized a lot of the input was coming from people only partially connected to Minneapolis or not connected at all. People who do not live in Minneapolis should have no impact on this process. This is an issue for residents to decide for themselves. The amendment should be put on the ballot as-is. I read the Charter commission's proposed amendment and it does not fix the issue we have which is the deliberate omission of public safety as the priority of city services like police. Funding is a piece of it but we need to be explicit about what we value and those values need to be reflected in the charter. The only way I'm in favor of both options being on the ballot is if the option of no changes to the charter is absent so we choose between two amendments and are guaranteed some sort of progress. If all three options are on the ballot my only conclusion would be that the Charter Commission wanted to sabotage the democratic process by diluting the options for change and amplifying voices of those who prefer the status quo. I live in Ward 4, I have been there for 8 years, I am a Minneapolis voter and I want the opportunity to vote on the original City Council amendment.

Ward 4

7/23/2020 8:07:25 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 8:08:19 AM

The future of the MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. Residents want and deserve the opportunity to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. I live in St Louis Park and spend a good deal of time and money in Minneapolis. The community is telling you what change they need and asking for the opportunity to make their voices heard.

This community is filled with visionaries with the experience and foresight to rebuild the city into something better.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 8:08:48 AM

I DO NOT want to defund the police department. I believe the current structure is fine, but the training and management and relations with unions need to change.

Creating a new department will not solve anything unless the training, management and union contracts are addressed first.

It is my understanding that there is no "new department" guidelines, structure, etc ready to go or implement. It would be irresponsible to do away with our police department, when there is no alternative department already operational and functioning. You cannot leave residents and business owners without protection.

How can you even ask us to vote to get rid of the police when crime is higher than it has been in years, and we are suffering with a pandemic. Shame on this City Council. You should be developing plans to make us strong. Work with your neighborhoods. Work with the police, not against them. DO YOUR JOBS

Ward 1

7/23/2020 8:08:57 AM

that the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 8:11:38 AM

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

I have been a victim of several crimes, but not once have I felt like it would be right or safe to call upon them for help, and I'm white. I can't even imagine the constant trauma my Black neighbors experience every day. The resources out there both prove the harm the MPD inflicts on our city and prove the efficacy of alternatives. I want to urge you to give appropriate weight to the message raised up in unison by the people of Minneapolis that took to the streets after the murder of George Floyd. The entire world rose up to heed the call of the people of Minneapolis in their wake. We now have another chance to inspire cities, even nations across the world, to start forging a path to the future - a future without the MPD.

Ward 4

7/23/2020 8:12:10 AM

I wholeheartedly agree that we need to put this to the ballot. It is up to the people to decide what kind of city they want, NOT YOU.

Put the charter amendment on the ballot!

Ward 10

7/23/2020 8:12:19 AM

I support an amendment to let the people Vote to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety.

One of my friends in North Minneapolis had his dog shot and killed THROUGH A FENCE by a Minneapolis officer, simply because the dog was barking at him. That's despicable, and only one of many examples of how these officers are out of control due to an unaccountable system.

Thank you for envisioning a different and beautiful Minneapolis with us, one where we use our money to protect people through housing, violence prevention, preventative care, and other tools that actually keep us safe.

Thank you.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 8:14:10 AM

Hello,

Although I am not sure how I will vote, I do believe that the vote for a charter amendment is for the people to decide. I think that governance should be by the governed, and the people will make their decision.

Please put this on the ballot. Please let the people have their say.

Thank you,

Ward 10

7/23/2020 8:14:50 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. I want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. I won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

I don't have a person story, I'm a white woman. I get judged positively on the color of my skin. and I'll add... if in person comments are negative, but on-line comments are positive do you think that this site is getting over run with people out of the area who are pro-police..... just saying.

Ward 4

7/23/2020 8:15:11 AM

The intent of this amendment seems to be to keep the existing structure in place, with another name. This amendment also limits the flexibility of the City Council to come up with the best solution for the city. The city needs systemic change in how we are ensuring public safety, not a makeover of the existing structure, which seems to be what this amendment intends to do.

As someone who works downtown and hopes to live in NE Minneapolis again soon, the city needs a massive structural change to public safety, as few people trust the current system in place.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 8:16:32 AM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, resident of Minneapolis, MN. I am writing to urge you to allow the residents of Minneapolis to decide the future of the MPD involvement in our city. Unelected decisionmakers should NOT be making this crucial decision, which affects hundreds of thousands of people. We want to vote to remove MPD from the Charter and instead direct funding and resources to harm reduction, and create a Department of Community Safety that will better serve the needs of our community. We are urging you to thoughtfully consider the lives this will save and how our community can transform into a safe environment for ALL.

Ward 2 7/23/2020 8:16:43 AM

We need a public safety solution that keeps all members of the community safe. The MPD has not met that calling. Please remove them from the charter and give Minneapolis the opportunity to build a solution that addresses real issues and makes this a better place to live.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 8:16:52 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

We, as citizens of Minneapolis, want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety.

We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Thank you for your time.

Ward 12

7/23/2020 8:17:57 AM

I am a long term Minneapolis resident who has been alarmed at the growing militarization and unaccountability in the MPD. I support the proposed amendment as it is written to strike charter language that mandates a police department and singly mandates a level of funding and staffing, and replace this with a new department of Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention. The proposed language does not eliminate the ability of the city to maintain a law enforcement and policing operation which is likely to be needed during a transition. In my opinion, however, it does shift the model from an outdated approach to a new, more equitable and effective way of community safety. Thanks.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 8:19:37 AM

We, the residents of Minneapolis, deserve an opportunity to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We are the voices that need to be heard and represented, not unelected decision makers. Challenges, harm, and murder have been the outcome of the current policing system in Minneapolis for years. By not allowing Minneapolis citizens to vote on our future you are continuing to uphold silencing, problematic, discriminatory practices and systems within a city that is literally screaming "no more" at you. Give us the opportunity to decide. Police reform has been done over and over and over again and we have seen little to no change in the harm being caused to our communities. We do not want or need more reform, it does not work. We need to rethink and envision a new future for our city. And to do that, you must allow us to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 8:20:16 AM

Hello,

I am writing to support the adding the charter change to the November ballot. Anything else would be undemocratic; considering a movement that has spread around the world, we deserve to at least vote on the chance to open up public safety to a more creative format. Policing as it is now is not working. It is corrupt. I am a College educated white woman and I fear the police; I know my fear pales in comparison to the fear my black and brown brothers, sisters, siblings and neighbors feel. By allowing we Minneapolis citizens to vote, you are giving us a chance to be heard- including those who are happy with the current policing system! Opening up the charter to change is opening it to all of human creativity and ingenuity to find a solution to a broken system. I am hopeful!

Thank you for your consideration,

Prospect Park

Ward 2

7/23/2020 8:21:04 AM

Hello,

I was shocked to see the scope of the changes to the charter amendment proposed by the Charter Commission. These changes are insignificant to the status quo; MPD's staffing and budget are already exceeding the limits set by the current charter, such that removing them - while a necessary step - will not be nearly enough to initiate the change that is needed in our city. Our City Council proposed a much more flexible and forward looking amendment that gives our city the opportunity to continue to plan, discuss, and build sustainable and safe communities.

I understand your perspective that the majority of comments submitted are not in favor of the original proposed amendment. If that's true, then we will see those results in November. But that must be the decision of all voters, not this small body of un-elected and non-representative Commissioners. PLEASE approve the comprehensive amendment proposed by our City Council and let the voters have a say in the health of our city!

Ward 9

7/23/2020 8:21:26 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 8:21:45 AM

I am writing in support of the charter amendment to ask that residents at least have the chance to vote for an alternative system of public safety. As a mental health professional, I have seen first-hand the difference between how people in crisis respond to police versus a first responder with more mental health training. I live a few blocks from the Minneapolis city border, so while I'm not technically a resident, I'm writing out of support for my neighbors.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 8:24:11 AM

The almost total lack of accountability that the average MPD officer enjoys is a clear and present danger to our community. The organization should be removed from the charter. Denying the citizens of Minneapolis a vote on this issue would be an outrage against our democracy.

Ward 6

7/23/2020 8:24:18 AM

Please leave the city charter as is - no dropping of minimum requirements for police per resident ratio. Please do not put either of these amendments on the ballot

Minneapolis resident, 8 years

Ward 7

7/23/2020 8:24:31 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision-makers!!!!!

Ward 5

7/23/2020 8:25:09 AM

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 5

7/23/2020 8:25:42 AM

Earlier this year, my partner and I were hosting a couple friends at a distant in our backyard. She is Black, I am white. Our friends were mixed as well. An MPD car chose to park in a school lot across the street. Not one of us felt safer with that car across the street. My partner looked at our dark skinned, large male friend and said don’t make any sudden movement. Don’t stand up where they can see you.

The idea that my partner is reasonably terrified for her own safety and that of our friends while hanging out in our backyard says to me that there is no chance for repair. There is no more reform that can heal generations of harm caused by police. George Floyd’s death only reinforced how right she was to be afraid that day.

We deserve the chance to start anew in building a system that actually keeps us safe rather than causing terror. Most of all, Minneapolis residents deserve the chance to decide for ourselves. Put the amendment on the ballot.

Ward 11 7/23/2020 8:26:01 AM

Please let us vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

When my son was 14 he was sitting on a bench waiting for the bus with 3 of his friends. Three police cars pulled up, pulled out their guns. At first the boys thought there was something happening behind the bench and ducked. Then the police told them to get on the ground. When my son did not arrive home on time I called him. He instinctively moved his hand towards his pocket where the phone was and the officer held a gun to his head! My son to this day does not have record and is an upstanding citizen. he is employed by the city. No 14 year old should have a gun held to their head. Particularly when they are merely waiting for a bus. I went to the 3rd precinct and tried to file a compalint and they would not allow it.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 8:27:54 AM

Let us vote - this decision should be up to the people of Minneapolis. All the people of Minneapolis. We're ready to imagine something new.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 8:29:20 AM

I currently live in St. Paul but the nonprofit mental health agency that I work for and many of our clients are in Ward 5. Public safety has a huge impact on a person's mental health and well-being, especially Black individuals, who make up a large number of our clients and are most at risk to police brutality. The future of the Minneapolis Police Department should be up to them, instead of unelected decisionmakers. They should be allowed to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and have a say in creating a new Department of Community Safety. Families in Minneapolis need to be safe, not only for their physical well-being, but for their mental health as well!

Ward 5

7/23/2020 8:30:30 AM

Dear Minneapolis City Council,

Today I am writing to you for two main reasons. the First is to Defund the Minneapolis Police Department and Disallow any power be given to them that makes them above the law and above the community members and council members they serve. Secondly I am writing to support placing these charter amendments to be voted on by the citizens of Minneapolis.

In Support of my first request, the Idea that the Minneapolis police are allowed to terrorize our communities with impunity is heinous and disgusting. They like any City employee or council member should be constantly aware of their ability to be removed if they stop serving the communities they work in. We need oversight of this dangerous bunch of children to be by someone who is not their chief or leader and who is not one of them. Thinking otherwise suggests you believe "Lord Of The Flies" shows a model society. In Support of my second point I believe the Citizens of Minneapolis should be given the opportunity to vote on these charter amendments. Any position otherwise should be considered anti democratic. I was disheartened to hear that due to written comments you would so readily dismiss hours of public testimony showing once against the vast inequalities in this current system. If comments are so important to you here is one in support of defunding the Minneapolis Police and letting the Citizens Of Minneapolis Vote on the issue.

I had to take a merit badge in boyscouts that taught me all about how government should work and the systems it relied on. First and Foremost for our system of governance to work it relies on the Citizens voicing their opinion and declaring what they would like to see and then second it relies on those who have been chosen to represent their areas to listen to the citizens. sometimes this requires the citizens to vote directly. Which is what I believe needs to happen in this case.

Ever Since I finally became a US Citizen a 4 years ago I love to vote please let me vote on another part of my future in this country.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 8:30:41 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the people and their elected officials. Not the unelected ones. It’s been apparent in years past, but this year especially has shown us that the MPD cannot he trusted to protect and serve as they have sworn to do. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD and instead create a new department of community safety. What we are doing currently clearly hasn’t been working so we won’t settle for smaller changes or a different amendment. Don’t forget how the police treated our hurting community this spring. Don’t forget how they treated journalists. We need change.

Ward 5

7/23/2020 8:31:02 AM

How we provide for the safety of our community should be up to the community, the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety that will provide the groundwork for us to build a safety model that keeps us ALL safe. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Let us vote.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 8:31:28 AM

The future of the MPD should be placed on the ballot this November.

The purpose of the city charter is to define the power and authority of the city “granted by the people”. (emphasis added). It is, therefore, not so unreasonable that the residents of Minneapolis determine the future of the MPD.

The purpose of the city charter commission is to act as a standing constitutional convention. The city charter is a living thing then, one that is up for revision based on the needs and best interests of the residents in certain times. Time and time again, we have witnessed either firsthand or through videos of police brutality, misconduct, or just their utter inability to actually do their job. The Kerner Commission from President Johnson’s era, decades ago, stated that policing needs to change. Clearly, no one listened. Listen now.

History will remember who continued to let Black people suffer in Minneapolis. Members of this commission, in other years, are generally unremarkable and not remembered. You aren’t elected after all. But we will remember each and every one of you now. Your names and faces are burned into our minds now.

Let us vote, or be remembered as a barrier to justice and progress.

Ward 11

7/23/2020 8:31:50 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process.

I want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. Let the community vote!

Ward 3

7/23/2020 8:32:03 AM

I'm shocked by the amount of power the unelected Charter Commission has. You should not be deciding the future of MPD. Not only are you unelected but you do not represent the diverse experiences that residents have with the MPD.

I ask that you allow a vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a the new Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention. There should not be smaller reforms or a different amendment from the unelected Charter Commission.

Ward 13

7/23/2020 8:33:08 AM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxx and I have lived in Minneapolis for 7 years in Ward 12.

I truly hope and believe that the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not un-elected decision makers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

As a social worker for Hennepin County for the past 5 years I have seen and heard many negative interactions from my clients regarding MPD. These are individuals from BIPOC community, who have disabilities and MH diagnosis as well as limited resources (including affordable housing options) and natural supports. I would love to see more funding go towards supportive programming for these individuals and affordable housing for low-income folks rather than MPD, who often disrespects and even abuses people with disabilities. They do not have the training or resources to support this community. Please let the community, including people with disabilities, low-income folks, BIPOC folks and all Minneapolis residents, vote on what our community NEEDS!

Ward 12

7/23/2020 8:35:31 AM

As someone who works in Minneapolis, I need to know that the community I spend 60+ hours a week in is keeping their commitment to community safety, not police supremacy

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 8:38:10 AM

Dear Charter Commissioners,

I believe that the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Thank you,

Ward 13

7/23/2020 8:39:30 AM

Hello,

I live at 1800 South Washington Avenue, and I am submitting a request that the Charter Commission let the people of Minneapolis vote on the amendment. We have a right to decide via democratic means whether to adopt the amendment.

Ward 6

7/23/2020 8:39:43 AM

Hello! Ward 10 resident here, in favor of an amendment to the charter so that we can dismantle MPD and reimagine public safety. Most of the times I've had to call law enforcement have been because of non-violent crises--someone overdosed on the Greenway, a woman having a mental health crisis was weaving in between fast moving lanes of traffic-- and I want to feel like there's a centralized place where I can call for help and not fear that police will hurt the person I'm trying to assist. I also favor taking a preventative approach so that there are less of these crises in the first place -- more investment in housing and health, for example. I recognize that this is a community effort--I'm currently working with my neighborhood organization to develop a set of trainings and resources to help people deal with situations like those mentioned above, without feeling like their only option is calling the police. We are committed to doing the hard work with you, please help us do it!

Ward 10

7/23/2020 8:41:18 AM

Hello, I am writing to indicate my support for this amendment. The future of the MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis and must be included on the ballot in November. Numerous efforts to reform the department HAVE NOT WORKED. We need drastic change and we need it now. I am a white woman and the last few days, I have seen police officers in my neighborhood and I do not feel safe with them there. Even if people do not support this amendment, it should still be on the ballot so we can decide as a city to pass it or not. Thank you

Ward 3

7/23/2020 8:43:05 AM

LET US VOTE. We need to create a safer city and this can be done by creating a new Community Safety and Violence Prevention Department. I think of Powderhorn Park whose tenants just got evicted. Imagine if instead of criminalizing being homeless we had a system in place that would help them. Help them because they are human beings and deserved to be helped and supported. We need social workers instead of police and we need to use some of the money that goes into the police budget to create affordable housing and safe spaces. Our citizens are dying because of our current police system and it needs to end. Let us Vote. Let us decide how we want our city to move forward.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 8:43:09 AM

Minneapolis has always been a great place to live, if you're white. By letting our citizens vote toward creating a new Department of Community Safety, we're taking action toward our city becoming a great place for all people to live.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 8:45:18 AM

I reside in St. Paul currently and am moving to Minneapolis (Ward 1 - the Northeast neighborhood) next month. I have lived in Minneapolis for many years during my 20's.

It is so important for me to be able to vote on this Charter Amendment in November. Before even reaching the principle of public safety, there is the principle that people in the community should have the opportunity to impact their governance, which includes public safety institutions. How will we know how Minneapolis residents truly feel if we are not allowed to VOTE?? This is an American principle, and there should be no fear in allowing this to go to vote, since all it will allow is the community voice to be heard and honored.

While living in Minneapolis I never felt safe around police. I never felt like they cared to listen to me or respect my wellbeing in a basic sense. I always felt that they only cared about maintaining their power (of which they have been given far too much for too long). How can my voice be heard about this if I am not allowed to vote?

Please do your duty to Minneapolis residents and allow a vote on this Charter Amendment. You should not be afraid of what your constituents have to say.

Respectfully,

Ward 1

7/23/2020 8:45:32 AM

This seems so obvious to me. the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the commission.

We have an opportunity to let the community have a voice on this topic. Why would anyone want to silence their neighbors. The more input the community has the more by in and thus the safer the community will be. Let us vote, let us be heard.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 8:45:43 AM

Let the people vote! The future of MPD should be up to voters not unelected officials. We want to vote on the amendment, we want to have a voice in what happens and how it happens. We want to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. If we are not safe in our communities, we need to remove those causing the danger. The MPD has acted with disregard for the lives of our communities for too long. We need change and we need to be able to vote to make that change happen.

7/23/2020 8:48:22 AM

I support the amendment as the city council proposed it. Minneapolis residents should have the right to vote on this issue. I live in a neighborhood where many people are afraid to call the police (myself included) for fear that they will kill, abuse, or harass someone. A reimagined department of community safety will keep me and my community safer by offering us someone to call who we actually trust is there to help. In my view, no amount of police reform will achieve this. Ward 4

7/23/2020 8:49:15 AM

It has been demonstrated that MPD does not posses the ability to adequately serve our community in the way they have been tasked to. MPD has instilled terror into the citizens it should be serving. The community has put too much in MPD's basket, they are not trained to be counselors or conflict managers and yet we send them into situations that necessitate that skill set. The people of Minneapolis deserve a chance to vote to remove MPD from the city's charter, because it is time for something different. We need people who are trained to mediate and de-escalate and who have the safety of people as a priority, not an afterthought. The time is now.

Ward 12 7/23/2020 8:49:57 AM

Let us vote to remove MPD from the charter. Voters should have a say in how they’re communities are governed. MPD should answer to thw voters for their actions. We need a new committee that puts the welfare of Minneapolis’ citizens first and want to put a department of community safety in place of the MPD.

7/23/2020 8:51:15 AM

Let us vote. The decision about our future safety should be up to us.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 8:51:27 AM

The people of Minneapolis don't have trust in the police department. The police have said they can't do their jobs without trust. You won't be able to restore trust in this department. Taking the reform route means much deliberation through processes that, so far, have only produced changes that turned out not to work, like body cameras and implicit bias training. These small changes are representative of the small changes the would happen again, if you place your faith in reform. These small changes that may have an effect over time, but may not. In any case, they would not be able to restore trust until measurable change is detectable, perhaps in 4-5 years. Those 4-5 years will be spent without community trust in police. The police will not be able to do their jobs effectively and, moreover, will almost certainly end up killing more unarmed people, as there will not be enough change from the culture and system that exist now and lead to the deaths of unarmed people now. Your best route is to put the charter amendment to a vote. At least then, your actions will not lead to a decrease in trust in government as a part of this process.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 8:51:46 AM

The future of the Minnesota Police Department should be up to the voters of Minneapolis, not unelected decision makers.

Minneapolitans should be able to vote on the amendment to remove the MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. Smaller reforms won't do, nor will a different amendment proposed by the Commission.

Thank you.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 8:52:24 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

Over the years, there have been unsuccessful reform attempts, let us all try something else.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 8:53:30 AM

I support these changes to the city charter. I feel they strike the right balance, and they shift the power for overseeing public safety to elected officials where it rightfully belongs. It is important to establish effective oversight over any department which would have the power of life and death. I would like this process to move forward to the next steps.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 8:54:28 AM

There is absolutely not reason to NOT let the public vote on this amendment. Even if you are unsure how the public feel, letting people vote and have their voices be heard (NOT through public hearings where they wait hours to speak for 60 seconds) is the only fair, democratic thing to do. Let us vote!

Ward 10

7/23/2020 8:56:31 AM

Please let the public vote on the amendment. We should all have a say on how our residents are protected.

Ward 12

7/23/2020 8:57:41 AM

The Charter Commission has an obligation to allow voters to decide on the fate of the MPD. For too long, systemic issues in Minneapolis have been treated with an increase in police funding, rather than tangible assets to the community such as affordable housing and public education. Every outspoken voice has been clear; we have no faith in half-measures and defunding. Abolition, divestment from police funding, and investment into supportive resources is what the people of Minneapolis want. We ask the police to do far too much, and apply them much too generally to serve their intended purpose. Personally, my encounters with MPD officers have involved unnecessary escalation; even something as small as being pulled over for a broken tail light is made threatening by the presence of armed personnel trained mostly in combat tactics rather than pacifying, conflict-mitigating procedures. A complete restructuring is what myself and many other residents deem as necessary to fix many, many problems in the city.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 8:59:28 AM

I’m writing today to bring attention to the fact that the people of the city of Minneapolis should be the ones voting about the future of the MPD and not unelected decision makers. This is something that greatly affects the people living in this city and we should have a voice, by allowing people who haven’t been elected by the people living in this city it doesn’t allow for the people’s voice to actually be heard. No matter how “fair” people’s positions require them to be we all have biases and tend to vote for things that ultimately benefit ourselves and our well-being. It’s only fair that the citizens living and dealing with the unfair practices of the MPD get a say in the future of them.

At this point it should be extremely clear that it’s true whole system that’s flawed and that simply reforming what’s already in place isn’t going to be a real solution that’ll solve any issues. It is irresponsible to not listen to what the world is saying. This is a worldwide problem that isn’t getting any better, it is time for a complete change. A new future for the communities that actually works and allows EVERYONE to feel safe. Please allow the voters of Minneapolis to have a fair say in all of this, the ones it’s actually impacting.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 9:06:36 AM

The charter should not force the people to pay the police. The police should be held accountable through financial security. The police need to ask for money each year, without guarantee. This in turn may inspire the police to treat the people with respect and dignity.

Ward 11

7/23/2020 9:08:36 AM

To whom it may concern,

I've long considered democracy to be, at its heart, an institutional pressure valve that can release the shift of political will, change, or outrage in manageable spurts while preserving the rule of law. What we saw in June reflected the disturbing fact that the political desire for change may be outgrowing its container. It concerns me that your commission may choose to tighten the bolts of the boiler rather than release some steam via a long-overdue change to our system of policing in Minneapolis. We can do so much better than having a den of unaccountable white supremacists with guns in our city, tacitly supported by prosecutors, dispatchers, coroners, and other administrators who facilitate the police when they abuse their power. We can do so much better than a militarized response of force in the face of issues like addiction, homelessness, poverty...and counterfeit $20 bills. The current system was designed to be un-reformable, and I would like you to give citizens the chance to build a new system that serves the people rather than corrupt officers. Personally, I no longer trust the police in our city on any level, and I feel markedly furious, threatened, and resentful when I see police cars pass by as I go about my day in Minneapolis. I'm an affluent white man. We just had weeks of protests. The people are ready for change. I don't know what the consequences will be if you choose to protect an un-reformable institution of lawless violence that plagues our city, but I'm worried it won't be pretty. We can do so much better. And if you undemocratically block the referendum for the charter amendment, then I'd say we can do so much better than you. Sincerely, Ward 10 7/23/2020 9:08:52 AM

Please change the charter. I couldn't sleep last night because it occurred to me that I've had my own private security detail as a white person that exists to arrest, imprison, violate, and murder black people on my behalf. I've been living under this system and I don't accept it any more. As is, I will never call the police again if a black person is involved. The risk to the humans is too great. Think about continuing to spend millions of Minneapolis dollars for such a system. It has to end.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 9:09:02 AM

Greetings, a friendly reminder that decision making regarding public entities like the MPD should rest with the people, not unelected officials. Reform is not enough, we need to dismantle the MPD and work towards building a Department of Community Safety that is well funded and equipped to care for residents nonviolently whenever possible, and that work towards building equity in our city. Thank you for your work.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 9:11:06 AM

To the Minneapolis Charter Commission:

Please allow the amendment to the City Charter to move forward. Do not block this opportunity to remove the Minneapolis Police Department from the City Charter. Reforms aren't enough.

I am a middle-aged white woman. I'm tired of middle-aged white people blocking transformational change. Allow this amendment to move forward.

Ward 11

7/23/2020 9:11:34 AM

As a resident of Minneapolis living within sight of the third precinct, I demand that the MPD be removed from the charter and replaced. We need a focus on community safety beyond the reach and capabilities of a police department. Such a moment's change should be decided by voters.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 9:11:53 AM

Ward 3 7/23/2020 9:13:12 AM

I support the movement to amend the City Charter and doing so by putting the amendment on our voting ballot. The people should have the opportunity to decide whether to defund the police and redirect funds to the new Department of Community Safety.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 9:13:22 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 5

7/23/2020 9:13:31 AM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxx. I am a resident of ward 8. I support the community's effort to allow the city charter go to a vote so that the residents can have a voice in voting for/against maintaining the police department in the city charter. The majority of the people and the entirety of the city council want to see this change happen and it would be ridiculous to not allow this to go to a vote.

Resisting social change through policy is a form of symbolic violence, one that is structural and can be imperceptible to many. Allowing this form of "gentle" violence allows for the more direct violence we have seen perpetuated against black/brown/indigenous bodies. Symbolic violence is perpetuated by power imbalances. You all have the power to balance the scale. Please move forward with permitting the vote.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 9:16:00 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. They should be able to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. MPD should be live, reside and be members of the community they are sworn to protect, not armed occupiers who are not part of the community.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 9:17:00 AM

I am commenting to ask that we have the ability to vote on the charter amendment. The community needs to be involved in this process in order for it to bring justice. I also ask that we defund the MPD and redistribute the funds to create a safer community for all. Thank you.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 9:18:59 AM

I support the amendment as the city council proposed it. It’s time: the city needs to take action to dismantle the Minneapolis police force and start building the proposed Department of Community Safety. I live on Penn and Dowling in North Mpls, a highly foot/car/police trafficked area. My neighbors are afraid to call the cops. As a transgender/queer, middle class, white person I have privileges that my black/POC neighbors don’t. My black neighbor has started to have “the talk” with her son about how to act around the police so that he doesn’t get shot/killed.... her son is only 3 years old. We need a new Department of Community Safety, that cares and protects ALL of us. Minneapolis residents deserve to vote on this issue!

Ward 4

7/23/2020 9:19:05 AM

Hello, I hope that you will take into account my perspective because I live literally right over the river in St. Paul. I can walk into Minneapolis in five minutes and I often do. The Target on Lake is where I did most of my shopping and I'm frequently at places like Hook and Ladder, Moon Palace, Peace Coffee, and Gandhi Mahal was one of my favorite restaurants. I might not have property in Minneapolis, but much of my time and money is spent there and I trust the community that I have in Minneapolis to vote for better police policy than unelected decision makers.

The future of Minneapolis PD should be up to voters! We don't want unelected decision makers making choices that impact the whole of Minneapolis, especially when it comes to something as important as our police department, which has a historical record of prejudiced behavior.

Remove MPD from the charter. Minneapolis would be much safer with a Department of Community Safety. We don't want smaller reforms. We have tried and failed to reform our police departments with implicit bias training and equipping the police departments with cameras and that has not worked. Minneapolis Police continue to embarrass our city with disgusting things like that racist Christmas tree and terrorize and kill our citizens. It is time to completely reboot with something different.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 9:21:49 AM

As a resident of Minneapolis Ward 3, the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 9:22:07 AM

You must change the charter, for the good of us all. It’ll be hard but it is necessary and good.

7/23/2020 9:22:13 AM

I demand that you allow the residents of Minneapolis to vote on the proposed amendment created by the ELECTED City Council. We will not settle for smaller reforms from the UNELECTED Commission. How dare you, an UNELECTED entity, try to hijack and water-down this amendment?! You do NOT represent my community and you do NOT have our best interests at heart. You are acting as agents for white supremacy by not allowing the citizens of Minneapolis to vote on this amendment to remove the MPD. Our future needs to be democratically decided by us NOT YOU.

Ward 4

7/23/2020 9:25:47 AM

Put the charter amendment on the ballot. Let the people decide. Don't erode democracy. We need a way to move funds towards community safety initiatives and public housing.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 9:27:57 AM

Let us, the citizens of Minneapolis, be the ones to decide the future of law enforcement in our city. After all, we're the ones who have to live with the council's decision. We, the citizens, want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We are tired of the same song-and-dance every time there's trouble with the MPD; we want actual change, and we want to be in charge of it. Please, let's actually make the necessary changes to make our city better and safe.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 9:30:32 AM

I strongly support the inclusion of the Council's charter amendment on the November ballot. The future of policing in our community (and of the MPD) should be in the hands of Minneapolis voters through the democratic process, not up to unelected decisionmakers.

It is essential that we be able to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 9:31:41 AM

We want to defund the police and reallocate the money elsewhere that would actually help our communities. The police do absolutely nothing to help those that are homeless, have mental illnesses, and simply anyone that’s not in any danger.

WE WANT TO defund the police!

7/23/2020 9:32:04 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Let the people of Minneapolis vote on this charter amendment in November!

Ward 1

7/23/2020 9:32:46 AM

I’m writing to demand progress towards defunding the MPD immediately. The future of the MPD should be in the hands of voters, we want to remove MPD from the charter and create a new system. We need a Department or Community Safety! Reform is not working.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 9:32:57 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision-makers. The community wants to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. The way that the MPD handled the homeless in powderhorn, and the decision to cut cost in areas like COPE to meet a small budget reduction (which is by no means what the community wants. We want large scale cuts to MPD) show MPDs disconnect to the community. I beg you to let the democracy that we all hold dear make this decision. Let us vote!

Ward 4

7/23/2020 9:34:02 AM

The future of MPD should be left to the people of Minneapolis through the democratic process. Not decided behind closed doors by few.

Ward 13

7/23/2020 9:34:48 AM

As a resident of Minneapolis, I want the opportunity to vote on changing the charter. If we do not get that opportunity, it is only a matter of time before MPD does something like this again, and you will have more protests and more police violence.

I want to vote on dismantling MPD and starting a Department of Community Safety. Minneapolis has already tried and failed on police reform. MPD's union is led by a white nationalist, who was overwhelmingly voted into leadership by the rank-and-file officers of MPD, and nobody in our city can do a thing about it. Not Chief Arrandondo, not Mayor Frey, not any resident of Minneapolis. How do you reform that culture? This is what the MPD proudly stands for. This is what led to the death of George Floyd. An officer casually kneeled the life out of him. His three fellow officers watched and did nothing. Ask yourself what rule could have prevented this. This cannot be reformed. This is why having a vote to dismantle MPD is so important. Be courageous. Be accountable. Let us vote for change.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 9:35:23 AM

this charter commission shouldn't exist - nobody voted for the members. The city council should be in charge of this process. the members on this commission must forward this question to the voters of Minneapolis so we can disband the occupying police force.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 9:36:30 AM

Leave the vote to remove the MPD up to the people through the democratic process. The voters want to be heard. This decision should be left to the people not to unelected decisionmakers.

We want a new system. We want a department for community safety in place of the MPD. Let the people vote!

7/23/2020 9:38:54 AM

I'm a father of two small children and have lived in this city most of my life. I have never once felt that the MPD was actually a worthwhile expenditure that actually kept anyone safe. As a citizen, I am demanding we be allowed to change the charter and create something new that will actually work for all of us, not just a few.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 9:39:25 AM

I want a chance to vote yes on the amendment. The police cannot be reformed. My neighbors in the uprising understand the false promise of symbolic incremental change, and their demand for a vote follows years of residents trying to stop the wrongful killings that happen every day and month and year political action is delayed. This summer is proof that those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. We must vote this year.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 9:41:38 AM

Minneapolis does not need more police - or the police at all. These funds need to be reinvested in the community to address the root causes of crime.

Poverty, homelessness, racial inequality, addictions need to be treated...not criminalized.

Our community needs this to succeed. The police and violence do not help resolve the issues. They perpetuate it.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 9:41:51 AM

I do not want a change to the current charter regarding the Minneapolis Police department.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 9:42:03 AM

Hello,

I would like to weigh in on the efforts to modify the city charter put forth by the city council. I strongly suggest letting us vote on the ballet. This is a democratic process and many citizens stand behind the changes made by city council. We deserve to lead this process and not be blocked by a group that does not represent the city in demographics. We don't want smaller reforms, we want to defund MPD in the long term. While the process may be hard, it's worth it to envision a new model of public safety. Thanks!

Ward 13

7/23/2020 9:42:20 AM

As a white resident who cares deeply for the BIPOC members of our community - I insist that the Police must go. The bare minimum we can do is take the police out as a REQUIREMENT of the City Charter. It does not leave room for adapting to the needs and what works best in the community.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 9:44:11 AM

The future forms and priorities of public safety in Minneapolis should be decided upon by Minneapolis residents. Minneapolis voters should be able to effect change to the through the democratic process, and that includes determining the future of the MPD directly--not through unelected commissions. I want opportunity to VOTE on the future of MPD.

I believe Minneapolis can be kept safe through a collection of public safety initiatives includes: dignified housing, public health (mental and physical), high-quality education, economic opportunity as well as crime prevention and investigation efforts. My own experiences with the MPD include being dismissed for reporting a hit-and-run directly to an officer at the third precinct. It made an impact: I got the message that they were not willing to consider my experience of a crime. My presence was treated like the nuisance rather than the crime being treated like the problem.

What we know now is that the people of Minneapolis have extremely little trust in the MPD. The risks of change are worthwhile; the risks of maintaining the same broken systems are not. Lack of imagination and vision is a lousy excuse for maintaining a system that is causing harm.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 9:47:00 AM

Hello, I am a citizen of Minneapolis and I want to be able to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. I won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Please allow the citizens of Minneapolis to vote on this important and historic issue — do not subvert the democratic process! Leave it to the residents to decide. Thank you.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 9:47:48 AM

MPD is a harmful institution, and the voters of Minneapolis must be allowed to determine the way we want our community to handle emergencies, not unelected decisionmakers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Enough people have died at the hands of MPD. We demand tangible action and tangible change, and voting on this amendment is the first step.

Ward 5

7/23/2020 9:52:27 AM

The future of the MPD should absolutely be up to the voters of Minneapolis; it should not be left to the whims of an unelected group of officials. We want to vote on the amendment to remove the charter so we can create a new Department of Community Safety. We will not settle!

Ward 7

7/23/2020 9:55:21 AM

I want to make two points: one about the merits of the charter amendment, and the other about the process.

First, I support the charter amendment because there is no path towards equity and justice in Minneapolis that does not involve shrinking the police force beyond the .0017 officers per resident threshold. Both current research and the failure of past reforms support the fact that drastic reductions to the force, plus reinvestment of savings in our communities, is needed to ensure that all Minneapolis neighborhoods -- not just white ones -- are safe. The charter amendment allows us to take this step, while re-structuring institutions of public safety in the city to shift the emphasis away from anti-Black policing towards community-led public safety and violence prevention. We already know this is needed, and many of us cannot wait any longer.

Second, I want to make a comment about the paternalism that has been displayed by this commission -- the certainty that, while "normal" residents are acting irrationally in their pursuit of change, the charter commission knows what is best for Minneapolis residents and will therefore substitute its judgment in place of theirs. Not only is this paternalism insulting on its face, particularly since commissioners have not been elected to make these judgments, but it is also symptomatic of the exact same logic that has produced a century of over-policing and police violence. Like this charter commission today, police institutions have spent generations in the unchallenged certainty that police know better than residents what our communities need.

By standing in the way of a November ballot, you are replicating the same paternalism that has opened up our communities to decades of police violence. The cure is simple: Stop substituting your judgment for that of the people. Let us decide in November. Thank you.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 9:55:48 AM

As a Master's of Social Work student at the University of Minnesota, I have studied what a community safety alternative to policing could mean for a variety of Minneapolis residents from people of color to women who experience violence to students. As a resident of Minneapolis, I want my voice heard and I believe that democracy works when voices are heard. While I understand that the Charter Commission has more extensive knowledge about the charter than I do, I, quite frankly, did not elect this Charter Commission to represent me. Therefore, I implore you to allow Minneapolis residents their democratic right to vote for the future of policing in their own city.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 9:58:00 AM

As a Minneapolis resident and small business owner, I want the opportunity to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 9:59:33 AM

I'm not even a POC, and I'm terrified of the police. When I see a car driving through the neighborhood, I don't feel safer, I feel nervous, I feel afraid.

I don't like getting hassled walking through my neighborhood because a cop "hasn't seen [my ]face before"

If something bad were happening, I don't call the police, I just hope it goes away. Because calling the police is a potential death sentence, and I Couldn't live with myself triggering that.

If I were running away from a weird stalker in the night, I wouldn't approach a police person. I am more afraid of them than I am a random bystander on the street.

They mishandled my rape. Laughed me out of the reporting process.

Everything people bring up about he police, they don't actually do.

"what do you do if you're robbed, raped, assaulted?"

Then we call the police and they show up after the fact? their solve rate is abysmal. What do they actually accomplish?

Fund targeted programs to reduce crimes of poverty. Fund trained responders for sexual assault and mental health issues.

Oh god if things don't get better even after all of this, I'm giving up. I'm giving up on everything.

Ward 1 7/23/2020 10:01:55 AM

I am supportive of both the Charter Commission’s proposal and that of the City Council. I believe that there exits serious problems within the MPD, particularly with its culture and union leadership. Things are quite simply broken and significant changes need to occur. Both proposals provide support for the necessary changes within MPD.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 10:03:05 AM

At the core of this amendment is that communities in Minneapolis feel unsafe and targeted by the Minneapolis Police Department. With that in mind, community should be at the forefront. I believe that the amendment should be voted on by residents of Minneapolis and not left to the decision of elected officials.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 10:06:12 AM

PLEASE update the charter to the proposed language in the amendment. Minneapolis politicians CLAIM to have strong liberal roots, CLAIM to want to fight racism and CLAIM to desire equity in our community. If you DON'T vote for this to be put on the ballot then you are 100% saying that you don't care whatsoever about the future safety of our community. As a white person, I've been appalled by how my white "progressive" neighbors can't seem to wrap their heads around this being a fundamental step in the civil rights movement and that we are in so many ways still stuck in heavily oppressive times. It's commissions like this, all around the country, who will decide whether or not to step up and help their neighbors, or keep their white knee on the necks of our BIPOC neighbors.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 10:06:41 AM

We the people of Minneapolis deserve the right to vote on the proposed charter amendment to create a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department and remove the Police Department from the Charter, which our BIPOC communities desperately need. It should be put on the ballot and left up to the people to democratically decide, not by a commission deciding for us.

As such, it's important to submit the amendment by Aug 21st so it can be on the November ballot.

Thank you,

Ward 10

7/23/2020 10:09:50 AM

My name is xxxxxx and I am writing in support of the proposed charter amendment to remove the MPD and establish a new department of community safety.

As a white person in ward 10, I don't fear for my safety now and I won't fear for my safety even without the MPD. Removing the MPD from the Charter is a change that would leave my life largely unaffected, but would greatly improve the safety and support that Black, Indigenous, and POC communities in Minneapolis, who should have received this equally centuries ago. I am seeking the opportunity to call on my fellow white voters to decenter themselves in envisioning the future of Minneapolis safety and support the removal of the MPD from the Charter.

Let the residents of Minneapolis themselves vote on this amendment. We, not unelected decisionmakers, deserve to be able to vote on matters such as this and control the vision of the future that members of our community have been for too long shut out of.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 10:10:26 AM

I lived in Minneapolis for 8 years, inain Powderhorn park. I hope to live there again in the future someday.

I strongly urge the commission to allow a ballot vote this year. The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. My stepdad was a police officer in Duluth. He said that Duluth PD working with Minneapolis PD when they didn't have to, because the culture was so rotten and their behavior was so terrible. My husband has had interactions with the police involving people of color and MPD officers have been rude, dismissive and outright aggressive in front of him. He has complained about this and not received satisfactory responses. All the attempted reforms of MPD have been chipped away by the police union, and did not save George Floyd's life. They have not stopped the senseless loss of life and brutality toward people of color. It is time to vote on something different. If Minneapolis had a community safety department instead of a police department, I would be honored to be a resident there again and proud of the place I have called home. We will not settle for more stalling. The elected city council supports this, and the people of Minneapolis should vote. You have a duty to allow Minneapolitans voices to be heard. I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 10:11:11 AM

I believe that the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision-makers. In order to honor the democratic process, I want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. As well as give other Minneapolis citizens the right to vote on this to let citizens' voices and votes be heard. We must listen to citizens to create a safer Minneapolis and learn from past mistakes. It's easy to put a band-aid on an issue and continue to go about life as usual, but we are begging you to take a stand and help create real change based on voter choice. Please let us have the choice on the ballot and give us our right to decide for our city.

Ward 2 7/23/2020 10:15:40 AM

I cannot recall a time when I have felt helped or comforted by a police presence. I've called 911 when a friend was talking about committing suicide, knowing that they'd been traumatized and mistreated by Minneapolis police in the past, having been arrested in a situation in which they were being abused by their parents. My friend is still alive, but now their fear of police is even worse than before, and I do not know what I would do if I thought their life were in danger. Having a separate, properly trained organization that can respond to these events would be such a relief, and could help countless vulnerable individuals. Thank you.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 10:17:01 AM

I would like to remove the MPD from the Charter and replace it with a Department of Community Safety. Please ensure that this amendment is decided by referendum of the people of this city, not unelected officials.

Ward 6

7/23/2020 10:21:50 AM

We have seen time and time again that MPD does nothing to protect us. Two years ago, one of my roommates didn’t come home from a night out. It was the night before the Superbowl, and it was freezing outside. We filed a Missing Persons Report the next day. An officer arrived to ask us questions. When finding out she had done cocaine earlier in the night, he refused to file a report. He told us she was probably ashamed of her bad decisions and was taking time to reflect on her poor choices. Her car was in our lot; there was no way she could have left to “reflect”. He refused to file a report and left, saying our friend should learn to make better choices.

This is a fraction of the fear and inadequacy that Black and Indigenous people in Minneapolis face. Most people wouldn’t even feel safe calling the police if their friend went missing, wouldn’t have a place to call in case of emergency, because they know they’d face negligence like us at best and bodily harm at worst.

MPD doesn’t protect us. You’ve heard overwhelmingly from the city that we want the charter changed. The future of MPD and our city should be decided by the citizens. Let us vote on the city council’s amendment to change the charter.

Ward 11

7/23/2020 10:22:21 AM

We are told that the Minneapolis Police Department is designed to serve the safety of our city. However the MPD is only serving the safety of some of our city's residents. As a resident, I want to be able to vote, and for my fellow residents to be able to vote on the amendment to the charter that allows the removal of MPD and creation of a Department of Public Safety. If the voices of Minneapolis residents matter in this issue, a vote allows us to all to speak.

Ward 6 7/23/2020 10:22:41 AM

My whole household and I support putting the public safety amendment on the ballot!!

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 6

7/23/2020 10:25:40 AM

I am writing to urge the Charter Commission to let us vote in November on the amendment to the City Charter. The role of the Commission should not be to determine how we move forward with public safety, that should be up to the residents of Minneapolis.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 10:26:02 AM

I just wanted to say that I support the proposed amendment. Having a charter define how many police officers are required was inflexible for changing times.The dedication to a department of safety is a much better idea. It is still dedicated to keeping the citizens of Minneapolis safe, while allowing the ability to focus on determining what works best for that. Even if police have a role in that, they should not have a forced implementation.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 10:27:43 AM

The future of the MPD should be up to voters, the people who pay for and are supposed to be served by the MPD should have our say in whether the charter should be amended or not. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new department of community safety. We won’t settle for more of the same old reforms that, clearly, do not work. We deserve the right to vote to have our voices heard and not leave this decision up to unelected decision makers.

Ward 5

7/23/2020 10:28:13 AM

Hi,

I'm writing to remind you that the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. I have had several interactions with MPD officers throughout my life as a lifelong citizen of Minneapolis, and none of them have been positive. Each time, the officer has been aggressive or rude, and was clearly not interested in my safety or the safety of others.

One time when I called the MPD because I was in a car accident in the middle of a major intersection in Uptown (my car was t-boned and totaled), they said they would not come to the scene because no one was seriously injured, and they had "more important things to deal with." That response was shocking and full of complete disregard for my safety, the safety of the person in the other vehicle, and the safety of everyone in the area, including pedestrians and other drivers. We had to pick up the car parts and wreckage ourselves, in the middle of a major intersection, because the police refused to come to the scene.

We deserve the chance to vote on this amendment. We cannot wait any longer, because it is clear that the MPD does not keep us safe. We need services and resources that work for all of us, that actually keep all of us safe, so we can all survive and thrive in our city. Let us vote.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 10:29:51 AM

Please let us, the constituents vote on this matter. We want change, and we want the MPD gone! We have the opportunity to establish our city as the national leader in combating racism and public safety reform. Do not take this opportunity away from our city!

Ward 1

7/23/2020 10:30:37 AM

I'm writing today to request that the charter amendment be put on the ballot this fall.

I had previously submitted comments in favor of a slower process to amend the charter, but I've changed my opinion as I've learned more. The amendment would allow for a much-needed overhaul of our public safety resources, and getting started now will let us take advantage of the unprecedented attention, momentum, and public interest in this issue. The people of Minneapolis deserve a chance to vote on this amendment, and to do it soon. Thank you.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 10:31:12 AM

I am in support of changing the Minneapolis charter to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention.

I have lived in Minneapolis for over 15 years, in Whittier, Lowry Hill, and now in the Cleveland neighborhood in North Mpls. My experiences with the police have not been positive--slow response times and an unwillingness to investigate. In Lowry Hill, I called the police when I heard a woman yelling for help from the apartment building next door; when the police finally showed up, they wouldn't even knock on the door. In Cleveland in North Mpls, a neighbor called the police when we saw a man beating up a woman in his car. When the police finally showed up, they said they would go look for the people involved--but didn't even wait to get a description of the couple or the car. Those might seem like minor incidents, but they speak to the culture of policing in Minneapolis. Police officers do not care about Minneapolis or its residents. They do not protect or serve with compassion.

I do know a few police officers. They do not live in Minneapolis and they call the city a "cesspool." When I moved to North Minneapolis, they told me I would be murdered. Finding out firsthand that there are police officers on the force who feel that way was horrifying.

I want Minneapolis residents to have decision-making power about policing. I want city funds to be spent on programs and organizations that address the roots of crime--homelessness, poverty, access to equal education, mental health care, etc.--not on a police force that doesn't care about the city or the community where I have chosen to live.

Let voters decide. Change the charter.

Ward 4

7/23/2020 10:35:04 AM

I am writing to demand the right to vote on an amendment to remove the MPD from the city charter. In the months since George Floyd was murdered, we have seen countless videos of police using excessive force against peaceful protesters under the guise of "keeping order." They have attacked civilians, threatened reporters, and are using tactics we have condemned other nations for.

Minneapolis needs to lead the way in the nation. We need to allow for every citizen to have their say in how we are protected. Many of us see a far better method than relying solely on the police force; indeed, their actions of late shows that the level of trust between the citizens and the police force has been eroded to the point where small reforms are useless. You can ban choke holds and use-of-force training. Eric Garner in New York was murdered by an illegal chokehold; the ban did nothing to save his life.

We are at a crossroads. The public is demanding this referendum. To deny it, either out of fear of a political career falling apart, or because you fear your privileges will be taken away, will only act as delays before the will of the people will be heard. I ask you to not stand in the way of progress, but help to keep the conversation of how to transform the justice system in America so it does not oppress BIPOC citizens as it has since its inception.

Thank you for your time.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 10:37:29 AM

It is genuinely upsetting that there is even a thought of not putting something vital to the health of the citizens up for a vote -by- those citizens. This is a democracy - let the people speak how they wish to be governed.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 10:38:23 AM

I am a Minneapolis City Council constituent, and I urge you to place a measure on the ballot for voting to remove the Minneapolis Police Department from the city of Minneapolis' charter. The voting public of Minneapolis should be allowed to determine how it enforces its own laws and what body or bodies is or are in charge of that enforcement. The enforcers of laws in a community must be accountable to the members of that community. The system in place in Minneapolis was shown to be broken during the justified uprising that occurred after George Floyd's murder at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. I believe the broken relationship between the Minneapolis Police Department (most of the members of which come from other communities, which effectively makes the MPD a hostile occupying force for many community members) cannot be repaired.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 10:41:18 AM

The current MPD does not make all citizens feel safer. There is no reason safety has to be tied to police officers with guns.

The future of the Minneapolis Police Department should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

There needs to be a vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety.

Ward 12

7/23/2020 10:41:25 AM

Please, let the voters of Minneapolis decide on the Charter amendment. The country and the WORLD are watching us. Don't delay the chance for change by defaulting to business as usual. This is about change and possibility, and we as a city need to be able to vote for what we believe in. Thank you.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 10:41:32 AM

Allow citizens to vote on the future of our city! In a pandemic we deserve housing, healthcare and mental health support not a police force unwilling to change. Minneapolis deserves to see change, George Floyd deserves to see change. #Letusvote!

Ward 5

7/23/2020 10:42:48 AM

The actions of the police department - both historically and recently - show that the small reforms we've tried in the past have not worked: the systemic issues that lead to events like the murder of George Floyd cannot be patched out, because the underlying system is broken. We need peace officers, not "armies of one". The fact that I have to consider whether or not a noise complaint or call for assistance will lead to violent escalation on the part of the police does not make me feel safe. A friend of mine recently had a person who was obviously having problems wander through her property. The person was acting erratically, and was trying to sneak in to get water from the hose. My friend went out and asked this person if they needed help, and got some water for them. My friend was unwilling to call the police, because she was afraid that they would approach the situation as a public threat, rather than out of compassion and understanding; of actually providing help. My friend was also lucky, because she also did not have proper training on mental illness or substance abuse, and her approach could have led to disaster. That she had to make that calculation, and decided to handle it herself rather than endanger someone she didn't know, says all you need to know about our current system: our police see our community as a threat, and they approach situations with a mind to escalate and punish, rather than de-escalate and achieve actual peace. Those of us who live here, and deal with it day by day, know that all too well.

No one is interested in creating a power vacuum, and making it "every man for himself." The phrase 'defund the police' is being twisted by corrupt politicians who are only interested in wielding their constituents' biases and lack of real experience or knowledge as a cudgel to consolidate power. Defund does not mean erase or disarm; this movement wants to seamlessly replace our existing system with one that works for the people, and is made up of members of the community; one that looks approaches nonviolent situations nonviolently, and sees all people as people; one that approaches violent situations with the tools and empathy to seek de-escalation first, and uses force as only a truly last resort. The current charter precludes those efforts, and the members of this community deserve to make the decision, not un-elected bureaucrats who are far removed; the community's voice deserves to be heard, not just reactionaries who are afraid of change. Allow this to go forward onto the ballot. Allow the people to self-govern. Thank you for your time and consideration. Ward 12

7/23/2020 10:45:00 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. The charter amendment shouldn't be controversial; all we are asking is letting Minnesotan's decide on what WE want the systems that are meant to serve US look like. Even if written comments are telling a different story, it ultimately shouldn't matter; the change in the amendment would let every Minneapolis resident get to voice their opinion on policing in the city. The world is looking at Minnesota right now - I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Rwanda, and even the people in my village were asking me why police officers in Minneapolis are killing black people. With the world watching, we need to do the right thing. Amending the charter amendment is that thing. Thank you for your service and time! I look forward to collaborating to make Minneapolis a better place for our BIPOC community.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 10:49:57 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision-makers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 4 7/23/2020 10:50:06 AM

The charter commission should allow the people of the city to have their voices heard directly on this issue by putting the matter on the ballot.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 10:52:35 AM

Hello,

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and I live in East Phillips. In our neighborhood, it's clear that there are people who need support: there is homelessness and evidence of drug use. People struggling with these issues need real support in the form of affordable housing and social services. Unfortunately, on top of these issues, underresourced people often have to deal with police who, as the tragedy of George Floyd's death showed, are dangerous. The time has come for a new vision of community safety. I think Minneapolis residents deserve the chance to vote on the proposed charter amendment that would create a new department of community safety and violence prevention and remove the requirement for a police department. I think as a community we deserve the right to envision what a new model of community safety would look like, and that requires having the flexibility to have fewer or perhaps someday zero police officers. Please Let Us Vote. Thank you.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 10:54:10 AM

I am commenting to remind you that the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

I have had positive experiences with MPD, but as a white resident of Minneapolis who grew up in the 5th ward, I know my neighbors have justified fear and contempt for the practices of MPD. The time is now for a safer Minneapolis!

Thank you,

Ward 7

7/23/2020 10:57:20 AM

The future of the Minneapolis Police Department should be decided by the voters of Minneapolis, through our democratic process. The Charter Commission is a non-elected body and should not be standing in the way of this process. Furthermore, residents of Minneapolis need to vote on an amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Now is the time for big structural change.

My neighborhood has witnessed the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of a now former MPD officer, the raiding and destruction of his memorial mere days later, and several days of active intimidation on the part of police in coordination with the National Guard. I have seen my friends tear gassed by police for protesting this brutality. I have seen police drag my neighbors out of their tents in the park and arrest them while destroying what little property then have. And these acts of blatant violence are happening with increased scrutiny; the MPD does not feel accountable to the residents of Minneapolis even with the eyes of the world on them. That should tell you all you need to know about why we are asking the City to stop protecting them under the Charter and stop the excessive amount of funding that should be going to our communities instead.

Let us vote. Our voices matter.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 10:57:48 AM

Let the PEOPLE decide!

This is a democracy. None of you have been democratically elected. The people of Minneapolis are capable of figuring out for themselves what kind of community safety they want to support.

It is extraordinarily condescending of you to think that you must "protect" us from "rushing into making decisions." Most of us have been thinking about these issues for years and years. If you haven't been thinking about it before George Floyd, it means you've been living in a bubble of privilege and protection. Listen to the Minneapolis residents who know what they're talking about. Let us vote in November

Ward 2

7/23/2020 10:58:14 AM

We cannot let fear of change prevent us from acting. Police do not serve our community. Changing the charter is the best way to heal Minneapolis and protect Black and Brown citizens

Ward 3

7/23/2020 10:59:03 AM

I support amending Articles VII and VIII of the City Charter to replace the police department with a department of community safety and violence prevention. Minneapolis residents should have an opportunity to vote on this change in the City Charter. We must invest many of the dollars that currently go into the police budget in building new community infrastructures that will keep our communities safe. The current well-funded police department surveils, punishes, incarcerates and kills black people. This is not where I want my tax dollars to go. Instead the City of Minneapolis should invest in community needs for housing, mental healthcare, education, jobs and domestic violence response and address systemic inequalities that drive violence and crime.

Ward 6

7/23/2020 10:59:42 AM

I am writing to you as a concerned citizen and homeowner in Minneapolis. I want our city to take a stance on systemic racism and police brutality so that we can create a better future and city for our residents. The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Thank you!

Ward 9

7/23/2020 11:01:41 AM

I strongly believe that in a democracy the future of the police should be up to the voters. Our city charter was amended once to mandate policing structures. Therefore, it can be amended again! In a democracy, the people have the right to vote on changes to our policing structure. Let us vote on the proposed charter change. Let the people decide!

Ward 8

7/23/2020 11:03:32 AM

I believe our city will be safer without police. Whether you agree or not, it's only right to let the people vote on the issue. The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision-makers.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 11:07:23 AM

The Commission is not an elected body, therefore, I believe that denying the voting population the right to weigh in on the pervasive issue of public safely is arrogance and power-grubbing at its finest. Cops are not equipped to deal with many problems they are called upon to solve; having a broader public support and safety system with properly distributed funding and employing a variety of health professionals (along with a law enforcement branch, even) would allow community problems to have access to real, expert-led solutions. For those who claim gun violence is a mental health equity issue, refusing to allow potential allocation of militarized budgets to mental health workers being available to our streets and communists is hypocrisy. Let us vote! It is not your decision alone.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 11:07:39 AM

Let us vote!

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Though the Commission is stating that written comments indicate there is no want for this to go to vote, the decision NOT to include this on a ballot leaves me to wonder if there's a fear of outcome, e.g. a strong showing of support for moving our resources into housing, violence prevention, deescalation, harm reduction, and the other tools that really keep us safe. A true democracy means the community gets to decide. Let us vote.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 11:07:59 AM

The very idea that this is even up for debate exposes the undemocratic nature of the charter commission, and frankly you should be ashamed of yourselves in a very personal sense. End the police department. Fuck the ballot measure, dissolve it now, and then yourselves.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 11:09:44 AM

I am writing to ask you to approve the amendment so that the voters of Minneapolis can decide on the future of the Minneapolis Police Department. Please open this up to a democratic process, let us as community members talk with each other and together determine what kind of a city we want to live in. Let us imagine for ourselves what collective safety looks like. I want to create a new Department of Community Safety. I won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. I have lived in Powderhorn and Philips for over 30 years. I have been witness to multiple times when the police have been called in for one thing or another. On a few occasions, I have called when I witnessed sexual and domestic violence taking place and, frustratingly, had no one else to call. I remember once, when with a group of friends and our children in the front yard (32nd and 14th) and we suddenly had four police cars race up and block in a car in front of our house. The man in the car being cornered through something out the window, a gun that landed on the grass in front of a five year old. The police surrounded the man in the car, their guns trained on him, their guns also directed towards our children. We grabbed the children and made them get in the house. The adults stayed in the front yard as witnesses, watching. They arrested the man and put him a car. And then four of the police officers started pointing at us, a group of mothers (some white, some brown) in the front yard, and they started laughing at how we had grabbed the children and put them into safety. I hadn't been startled by the initial incident, I didn't like it but I had seen its like multiple times and I didn't know what was going on. It was the ridicule that surprised me. The children were under 6 years old. There were a bunch of them. We put them in the house to be safe. The officers, more than one, were laughing at us - "did you see how quick they took those kids in the house" "whooeee scary guns, huh?" No one actually approached us, even as the entire time we were within feet of the officers, they didn't speak directly, just literally pointed and laughed at us, mothers, for quickly pulling our kids into the house when guns were trained on spot that was maybe a foot and a half from a 3 year old. I am going to keep writing you and each time I do, I will tell a different story. Writing you now, I am noticing that i never filed a complaint when this happened. It didn't occur to me. That's how deeply the mistrust of these people had already set.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 11:16:58 AM

The Commission should not exclusively decide how to address the safety of Minneapolis citizens. Just because I have never experienced police injustice doesn’t mean I don’t believe the accounts of those who have. It doesn’t mean I can’t watch the videos from protests and see the objective facts with my own eyes. Refusing to acknowledge the deep hurt that current policing tactics have caused in some of our communities just because you have not experienced it is gaslighting, presumptive, and micro aggression on a grand scale. The purpose of your commission is “[to] define the powers and authority of the City, granted by the people.” GRANTED BY THE PEOPLE. The people have a problem with the policing tactics in this city- until black lives are free, no one is free. Refusing to let us vote on this matter is dishonorable on your part and speaks to extreme arrogance and a Big Brother mentality.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 11:19:55 AM

Greetings,

I am writing to you about the Charter Commission.

The future of the MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

I want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety and I won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Our community needs housing and healthcare. We need support for mental health. We need someone trusted to call when there’s a crisis. We don’t need an unaccountable police force enshrined by our City Charter.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best

Ward 3

7/23/2020 11:20:41 AM

I do NOT want UNELECTED decisionmakers determining the future of MPD and our city. These important decisions should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process. It is OUR city and OUR safety.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. This is not the time for small reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

LET US VOTE

Ward 8

7/23/2020 11:25:36 AM

Public protests in the past two months have made it clear that the residents of Minneapolis are ready to make changes to improve public safety and protect ourselves from police officers who are rarely held accountable for the harm that they cause. The police department, as it is currently organized, is not and has never been about preventing harm. At best, they keep situations from getting worse. It has been clear for years that in many cases, when police are called, they cause more harm. The system is dangerous, unjust, and devalues Black and Indigenous lives. The people of Minneapolis are ready for a change.

This proposed change to the city charter is one that needs to be voted on. If the charter commission intentionally delays this process, it would be an affront to the democratic process. If the charter commission delays this process, the public will know why. Let's not hide behind bureaucratic processes.

It would be unacceptable to let the fear of change outweigh the desire for our community to determine our own future. Let us vote.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 11:28:16 AM

Hello!

I wanted to submit feedback on the potential Minneapolis City Charter change. The future of the MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

People should be empowered vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety, allowing us to move our resources into housing, violence prevention, deescalation, harm reduction and other tools that really keep us safe. Please be a part of the change that is so desperately needed and thank you for all you do to serve and support our community.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 11:29:42 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 12

7/23/2020 11:34:28 AM

The City Council has not taken the time to really think about, much less publicly discuss, what is the best way forward right now regarding policing and public safety. So, the public is not prepared to vote intelligently on the rushed proposal that City Council wants to put on the ballot this November. Let the City Council come up with an intelligent proposal, then propose the Charter change that would be required to enact it. That wouldn't be as gratifying for Councilmembers to Tweet about as "Abolish the Police!", but it would be a much better approach to crafting public policy.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 11:36:04 AM

Charter Commissioners:

I am calling on you to refer the Public Safety Transformation amendment on the ballot this November! The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process. It is unacceptable to not allow residents to make our voices heard on this critical matter at the ballot box.

I demand to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. Smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission are insufficient. We have seen time and again that incremental reform does not work, at least not well enough or quickly enough -- and meanwhile your fellow residents are dying and being abused at the hands of those *we all pay* to protect us. This is a travesty. Not to mention that there are so many ways that public safety could be better provided by other resources: affordable housing and homelessness prevention, wage justice and workers' rights, mental health support, affordable child and senior care, welcoming and effective educational centers, etc.

With all due respect, you are unelected decisionmakers and may not represent the full community of Minneapolis on this matter. Let us vote.

Thank you for supporting democracy and justice at this critical time.

Ward 12

7/23/2020 11:38:31 AM

I will NOT vote for the change in the carter after reading the possible changes. If law enforcement is just an "OPTION" and the City Council "COULD" create law enforcement I will NOT vote for this change. I Will however vote my council member out of office and hope every citizen will vote out the council members representing them along with our Mayor, as I have witnessed in the past months, and in our case,( Ward 9), years absolutely NO leadership. Whose decision was it to make E. Lake St. the sacrificial lamb for police brutality? It was only when the more affluent areas of Mpls and downtown were at risk, the national guard was called in. People before Property??? After E Lake St burned down more than 2000 people were put out of work. Is that people before property? A manufactorer who hired 50 people is moving out of the city because the city didn't protect his business. If this kind of unrest happens again, are we going to send in the social workers? I live on a block with a very dangerous tent city on my cornor, three lots owned by the city of Minneapolis. It stared out as a few tents of homeless people, and over a month has grown into a hub of big-time drug dealing (I'm not talking about small dealers selling packets on the corner), prostitution, traffic day and night, terroristic threats to nieghbors. ("We own the street now. You better watch your back,") shit in our alleys, and needles (hundreds of them) collected by the neighbors every day, even though the city has supplied needle deposits and an outhouse. WE HAVE NO PROTECTION AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED OR ONE OF OUR HOUSES WILL BE FIRE BOMBED!!!! And what has the city done except supply needle deposits and outhouses? NOTHING! I heard that the defund the police people have intimidated the police so much that they were told not to go into the encampments. I believe that is true, because IF they come when we report a car with no licence plates (which there are many), or witness a drug deal or the abuse of a postituted woman they will not go into the camp. The most I have witnessed them doing is having a solen car towed away. If I were running my house like that I would be deemed a problem property. Minneapolis needs to deem their own property a problem and shut it down. But, the City Council and all the decision makers that we have been calling and emailing have done NOTHING and the intimidated police by the City Council have done NOTHING as much as we call day and night. So, as much as I would love to see the police culture change, (the sight of George Floyd getting his life snuffed out by that brutal racist cop still disturbs me) and as much as I would love to see more funding for affordable housing (wet, supportive, treatment), social services, youth programs and education I fear we are throwing the baby out with the bath water. The defund people are even intimidating (with death threats etc) officers who do programs like PALS, one that works with youth spots. I thought this is the kind of thing they would like to see? I would love to see some of that police funding go into even more programs like that and all of the holes in the safety net (what is left of it) filled. I am also aware of the deep vain of racism that runs through our police force, so funding must be put in place to rid our force of that, through better training and vetting. Though I realize that the state banned Minneapolis from requiring our officers to live in the city, I have (since George Floyd's death) been emailing legislators about changing that and would love to see that requirment put in place again. I am heartened by the changes made to some of the life-threatening police practices like a ban on the choke hold. However, and to sum up, I will NOT vote for this charter change, unless and until I see the change with hard promises for the protection of a police force. We (on our block at least) have seen the dangers of none, already!

Ward 9

7/23/2020 11:41:03 AM

Please allow us to vote on this change to the charter in the coming election. If we want true police reform, we can't be locked in by the current charter. It's too restrictive right now to make proper changes.

I hear you're considering not putting this change on the ballot. You're not passing anything, just putting it in front of the voters to decide. Why would you not put this on the ballot? The voters of Minneapolis may decide that we don't want to change the charter, but not putting it on the ballot for us to vote on would be doing a huge disservice to the city.

Just put it on the ballot. Give us the option to change policing in our city.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 11:42:10 AM

I'm hoping you'll put the proposed amendment to the city charter to the voters of Minneapolis.

I've recently read so much about how our elected officials have been surging toward the abolition of MPD with no plan in place. There SHOULD be no plan in place without engaging the public. Those of us who agree that now is the moment to forge a humane and effective alternative to the MPD recognize that the citizens of Minneapolis should have a voice on what public safety looks and feels like. The amendment to the charter merely clears the way for change and citizen participation. Failing to approve this amendment passes up on the opportunity that this moment of galvanized determination presents us, and it should the citizens of Minneapolis who approve the amendment, rather than an unelected assembly.

Ward 7 7/23/2020 11:48:03 AM

Let us vote!!! So I've heard that you thought it was an acceptable excuse to drag your feet on this issue of vital importance by saying you received written comments that were less supportive than the clear referendum we saw in Minneapolis residents' video testimonies. After seeing the powerful comments in support of this amendment I'm sure that's not true; however, even if it was, it's foolish to let that be the deciding factor and not an actual public vote. The past 2 months have clearly demonstrated how badly we need change in Minneapolis and how desperately we need to escape from under the out-of-control mob rule of Bob KKKroll's PD. It would be utterly irresponsible of you, a board of unelected officials, to decide unilaterally to take away the clearly expressed voice of the people of Minneapolis in their urgent need to be heard on this matter.

Your patchwork update to merely remove the officer numbers requirement is a joke; anything that allows this heartless and vile department to survive and continue to brutalize our neighbors is unacceptable. Send the damn amendment IN ITS CURRENT FORM to a vote, and know that you are not contributing to a safe and secure city for all your constituents if you do.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 11:49:22 AM

Despite numerous attempts at reform over the decades, the Minneapolis police has acted with near impunity for far too long. In the 1980’s I saw innocent friends of mine beaten by the Minneapolis police. When we attempted to file a complaint to review board, the phone was handed over to the office who had actually done the beating! No complaint was filed. Over the years I have read and heard enough to know that little has effectively improved since then.

I see the main cause of this being the Police Office Federation which has steadfastly refused to have any meaningful accountability for its officers. It therefore has actually stood up against justice, which it purports to support. The only path to addressing the uncontrolled violence of the MPD is to get rid of the police union. And the only option we have to do that at this point is through the abolition the MPD itself, which I unequivocally support.

Frankly, I am excited at the prospect of creating alternative organizations to address domestic violence, to respond with people with mental health issues, and to work with youth to address gang violence. I also strongly believe that we need to address the embarrassing racial inequities that exist in this city, which as a citizen I bear some responsibility for. Addressing these issues will be far more successful at preventing crime and violence, than the police.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 11:55:02 AM

I strongly believe the MPD is beyond repair and must be abolished in order to truly protect the citizens of Minneapolis, particularly BIPOC, who rightfully do not feel safe around the MPD. The Charter Commission must allow the citizens to vote this year, because this is only the first step towards fixing an urgent, life or death problem. We cannot wait. I also support the work being done by Reclaim the Block, and all proposals they have made thus far. The Charter Commission, the city council, and the mayor have a duty the people of Minneapolis, ALL the people of Minneapolis, and further delays and attempts to avoid real, effective change will do nothing except perpetuate the brutality and abuse we’ve seen time and again from the police against us, the people of Minneapolis.

Remember that every single previous attempt at reform has failed to fix this problem.

Be on the right side of history and let us vote.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 11:56:15 AM

I support defunding the police and working with other departments to solve the multitude of scenarios police are asked to. I am a lot less willing (as are many in my neighborhood) to engage police for issues for fear they will use inappropriate force. Reform has not been shown to be effective, I would rather see police requests narrowed to where police are needed.

Ward 4

7/23/2020 12:00:23 PM

I support the Amendment and want to see this on the ballot in the fall. I have owned my home in North Minneapolis for 15 years and have only seen the police harass our community. They have never once helped me. I am a white, middle class woman.

I am just asking that we be allowed to let the members of our community make the decision about the future of policing.

Ward 5

7/23/2020 12:06:04 PM

Hello,

Ward 1

7/23/2020 12:06:46 PM

Bring this to voters -- this community needs to have a say in how its safety is provided to all of its residents. Any department designed to promote and create community safety needs to have the community in mind first and foremost -- MPD is self-protective and only interested in maintaining their power, practices, and complete lack of accountability to the community they serve.

Ward 9 7/23/2020 12:08:39 PM

Let us vote on the future of policing in our city. The MPD has demonstrated that they are unable to handle their employees and serve and protect their community. The trust between police and public is zero within the city limits. Put the amendment on the ballot.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 12:10:46 PM

I would like to voice my resounding support to allow voters in the city of Minneapolis decide on the proposed charter amendment in November. You commissioners were appointed because you are proponents of good governance. You are also gatekeepers to one of the most important charter amendments this city has seen in decades. Please do not underestimate this power, and do your part to facilitate that power being held in the hands of the people. Waiting will not change the inevitability of this ballot question. A vocal group want this, the elected city council members want this. So why not let it happen during a presidential election year, when voter turnout is order of magnitudes higher than in other election years? The foundation of good governance is truly representative democracy. Honor that foundation and allow this question to go on the November 2020 ballot.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 12:12:32 PM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 12:20:58 PM

It's imperative that residents of Minneapolis are allowed to vote on the charter amendment. This proposal came as a result of sustained, impassioned, collective action by Minneapolitans who have been impacted by police violence directly or indirectly. We deserve to have a say in how we are governed and policed. As a lifelong resident of south Minneapolis (grew up in Bryn Mawr, lived in Uptown, Powderhorn, Seward, and Regina) who recently purchased my first home just blocks from where George Floyd was brutally and coldly murdered by Derek Chauvin as three other officers stood by and did nothing to intervene, I am appalled at this latest incident of police violence. But it isn't the first time I have had to bear witness to police brutality. I marched with neighbors at the 4th precinct when Jamar Clark was killed for absolutely no reason, when Justine Damond was shot in her own alley, and in countless other, smaller, nonlethal interactions. I watched grown adult policemen pin a teenage Black boy to the floor of the cafeteria at South High School, his "crime" that he mouthed off to the uniformed officer who chided him for being late to class. My 67-year-old mother put her body between officers in her Bryn Mawr neighborhood who were harassing a Black teenager, guns drawn, a couple years back. An interaction that could easily ended in her and the teen's deaths. I have seen police harass food service workers when they didn't get free food and drinks, and sexually harass female workers. I have had tear gas thrown in my face by MPD from age 12 to age 44.

These are but a few incidents in a lifetime of personal and secondhand witnessing of MPD's abusive, sadistic, unchecked aggressive culture. I know many of our council members are also witnesses to this abuse, and I hope that you will see that it is the city at large that must be given the chance to make this important decision. Relying on public comment, which is rife with potential malicious campaigning by non-Mpls residents, is a poor substitute for allowing a vote.

Lastly, I just want to say that I support the amendment, in case I don't get a chance to vote directly. Thank you for reading.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 12:23:16 PM

I am opposed to the charter amendment. I will be ranking my council member last on the ballot due to her continued neglect of public safety and the huge spike in crime from the City councils dangerous rhetoric.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 12:25:49 PM

LET US VOTE. Community members should get to vote on the Charter Amendment. LET US VOTE LET US VOTE LET US VOTE LET US VOTE LET US VOTE.

Yes, I actually live in MPLS, are you sure every comment you claim to the contrary of this is a Minneapolis resident? I know my neighbors. I know my community. Claiming these community comments are not vociferously saying "LEEEEEEEEEETTTT USSSSSSSSSSSSSS VOOOOOOOOOOOTE" seems like a BOLD FACED LIE from this charter commission. LET US VOTE LET US VOTE LET US VOTE

Ward 8

7/23/2020 12:28:01 PM

Democracy is fragile and flawed. In the case of the proposed Charter amendment, we have a uninamous vote by the City Council forwarding it to a vote of the people in November. For the Charter Commission to block this would be sheer arrogance by a group that was NOT voted in, and NOT even representative of the city's population. This is exactly an example of flawed democratic systems, which end up used by the powerful (including white liberals, as Betsy Hodges' recent NYT editorial pointed out) to overrule the majority. Please respect the people who were duly elected, our City Council, and please do not block the voters from making this important decision. Let us vote on Nov. 3.

Ward 13

7/23/2020 12:29:43 PM

I'm a born and bred Minnesotan and resident of Minneapolis for the last five years. I demand that the Charter Commission let us VOTE on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. Anything less would be a betrayal of the promises made by the city to address police reform and would silence the voices of Minneapolis residents. Let us vote!

Ward 2

7/23/2020 12:48:22 PM

I live in the Longfellow neighborhood and have been following the City Council’s statements and actions in response to calls from our community to defund the police and reallocate those funds to better serve our communities. The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

I have never felt safe calling the police to help me or others in my community because all of my experiences with the MPD have been negative and always involve the officers flexing their power and acting very dominant. The MPD have also terrorized Black and POC communities since its inception. It is PAST time to defund the MPD and reallocate those funds to programs that will actually make us safer and healthier like universal housing, medical and mental health treatment, addiction services and other programs that lift communities up, not terrorize them. I implore each of you to allow voters to vote on a charter amendment AND support cutting funds to the MPD and reallocate them to programs that serve us.

Ward 12

7/23/2020 12:52:11 PM

The voters of Minneapolis ought to decide the future of MPD. With so many recent developments and information about MPD coming to light, the entire agency needs to be re-evaluated and face a referendum from the constituents. To restore community trust in the process, the charter amendment needs to be available for public vote. The City Council promised the people of Minneapolis a new future for public safety, and the community needs to vote on the proposed amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety, not a new amendment from the Commission.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 12:52:32 PM

I am writing to urge you to let residents of Minneapolis have the opportunity to vote on the future of our public safety system.

As a white woman of privilege, I am in full and complete support of the dismantling of the Minneapolis Police Department. I have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain from abolishing a department that strikes fear in my fellow Minnesotans.

Skin color and socioeconomic status should not preclude us from feeling safe in our own neighborhoods. We must work collectively to ensure that EVERYONE can access a peaceful, happy, healthy life in spaces where communities of color, particularly Black community members, are not targeted, harassed, brutalized, and murdered by our public servants. Ensuring our communities feel safe is mutually exclusive from continuing to fund the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), which has a proven track record of committing abhorrent acts of violence against black and brown residents of Minneapolis with impunity.

As a resident of Minnesota, I cannot tolerate the police brutality and mistreatment of the public from our Police Department. While the chilling murder of George Floyd was the loudest wake-up call, I know there are many other instances of violence and abuse, especially towards Black and Native American members of our communities. MPD is not squarely under the control of our democratically elected leaders or the official chain of command -- it is a department that acts with immunity and wreaks havoc and fear in our communities.

The people of Minneapolis deserve a meaningful community process to re-imagine health and safety, without encountering the barrier of outdated language in the City Charter. The people of Minneapolis deserve a City Charter that does not block our local elected officials from carrying out the will of the people.

For years, the Charter has been a barrier to holding the police department accountable because it prohibits city council oversight. The Charter also restricts how the City supports public safety by requiring a minimum amount of staffing. Neither of these barriers exist for any other City department.

The City Charter belongs to the people, and we deserve a chance to exercise our democratic voice.

Please support expedited approval of the Charter Amendment language so that Minneapolitans can exercise their voice on this most important issue in the upcoming November election. Please, let us vote.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 12:54:20 PM

Let the residents of Minneapolis vote on removing the Minneapolis police from the charter and replace them with a new public safety organization.

7/23/2020 12:55:42 PM

I currently live in Saint Paul, but until just last year I lived in Minneapolis, in Ward 8 for two years and Ward 2 for three years. Please give citizens the right to vote on whether the MPD belongs in the city charter. Anything less would be unjust. This is a decision that belongs to the people, to the community the MPD purports to serve. They should have a say in whether the system they live within is working. The MPD's violent actions have resulted in worldwide protests and demonstrations. Let the voters hold them accountable.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 12:59:06 PM

Members of the Charter Commission,

The history of the Minneapolis Police Department is, at best, a mixed bag that has included corruption, open oppression of unions (including shooting unarmed strikers in 1934) and most recently open contempt and even violence perpetrated against all citizens, but members of minority communities in particular. I do acknowledge that police can do some good, but it's significantly outweighed by the bad.

There have been numerous attempts to reform the department, but they've all failed to rein in the worst behaviors by members of the department. Furthermore, there's a culture of silence around bad behavior by fellow officers and a strong union that prevents any real discipline from occurring.

I'm excited by the prospect of a possible new way of addressing public safety. There are many situations where professionals with a different kind of training would be better suited to resolving problems than the what we've now been doing - always sending armed officers who often make the situation worse.

It's time for this to end. Please, let citizens of this city vote on the amendment to restructure the police as proposed by the City Council. Please do not water down that amendment in any way.

Thank you,

SE Como

Ward 2

7/23/2020 1:04:03 PM

Ward 8

7/23/2020 1:20:43 PM

I’m expressing strong advocacy toward letting people vote on the amendment. The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through democratic process not unelected decision makers. Minneapolis crime and safety needs to redesigned and examined from the bottom up to meet the needs of all of our citizens, not just our white community members. Our BIPOC community members need to be heard and need to be supported and we need to finally make real systemic changes that will actually change the lives of BIPOC, which will benefit all people, our economy, our schools, our businesses, and our community

Ward 12

7/23/2020 1:22:02 PM

Please let the citizens of Minneapolis vote on the future of MPD in our city. We have never had to opportunity to elect people on the Charter Commission so we should be governed solely by their decisions. I want to be able to vote on the option of removing the Minneapolis Police Department from the charter and creating a Department of Public Safety.

I am a white resident in the Howe neighborhood and my only close encounter with the police was extremely negative - they responded to a call and came to the wrong address, and proceeded to have my partner in handcuffs within seconds of him asking why they were there. It is frightening to think what might have happened had we been people of color or living in a different neighborhood.

Thank you for reading.

Ward 12

7/23/2020 1:31:59 PM

The masses may consider you radical, but more and more of us are learning that the people are not best served by a political monopoly, however benevolent their intent, be it under the control of one or a council of several. You have every incentive to attempt benevolent control, so I can only ask that you instead let your conscience guide you to a solution that empowers the people instead of yourselves, such as this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kPyrq6SEL0.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 1:38:32 PM

Charter Commission members:

The MPD is supposed to protect and SERVE the People of this city. Allow the people to vote on a charter amendment and decide how we want to be best served by the MPD.

I personally wish to defund the MPD and add a Public Safety Unit that are properly trained in managing public health crises, people experiencing homelessness, traffic violations and other non-violent events in the city.

I don’t want to live in a city where i fear for the life and safety of my family and neighbors whenever we experience a mental health crisis or other non-violent hardship.

Let us vote.

Ward 5

7/23/2020 1:39:50 PM

It is time for redesign of the public safety force in Minneapolis and we should not settle for incremental changes or smaller reforms. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the city charter. It is us, the citizens of Minneapolis, who should decide the future of MPD and how we protect our communities.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 1:40:05 PM

I support the City Council's proposed changes to the charter regarding public safety and the means to carry out this work.

Ward 12

7/23/2020 1:51:58 PM

I support this amendment being referred to voters in November. I think police departments must be more accountable to the communities they serve, and that the current wording of the charter prevents this accountability.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 1:53:09 PM

Let the people vote to remove the MPD from the city charter and create a Department of community safety. Let our voices be heard, let us create a better community for all!

7/23/2020 1:54:41 PM

Let the people vote! Leave this decision up to the voters in November.

7/23/2020 1:56:32 PM

The future of Minneapolis police should be decided by voters, not a few people in power. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 1:56:56 PM

Let us vote! We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

7/23/2020 1:57:35 PM

I'm writing in support of voting on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. I believe that the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. MPD affects too many people's lives to leave up to a small group to decide. The events of this spring and summer have made it clear that reforms don't achieve their goals and that MPD views the members of the community as enemies.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 1:57:43 PM

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 13

7/23/2020 1:59:35 PM

Ward 12

7/23/2020 1:59:57 PM

Ward 1

7/23/2020 2:00:15 PM We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Let us vote to improve our communities!

Ward 2

7/23/2020 2:00:29 PM We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Let us vote to improve our communities!

Ward 3

7/23/2020 2:01:17 PM #LetUsVote on the amendment that would remove MPD from the City Charter and allow us to move our resources into housing, violence prevention, deescalation, harm reduction, and the other tools that really keep us safe.

As a mother and educator in Minneapolis and Minneapolis schools, we need to start over, dismantle our system rooted in white supremacy. I am concerned that my white, affluent residents are going to say they support change and our black and brown community members, but then behind close doors say they are too scared to amend the charter--let's put it to a vote! Thank you for your time! Ward 12

7/23/2020 2:01:59 PM We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Let us vote to improve our community!

Ward 4 7/23/2020 2:02:28 PM

Ward 5

7/23/2020 2:02:46 PM

Ward 6

7/23/2020 2:04:52 PM

Ward 7

7/23/2020 2:07:06 PM

I fully support a complete rebuilding of the Minneapolis police force through removing the MPD from the city charter and allowing residents to vote on approving the new Community Safety and Violence Prevention Department. Now is our opportunity to make ACTUAL changes in how we take care of our community. It's no exaggeration to say that our current department (along with the local federation) is a direct decendent of a system designed to segregate and oppress our BIPOC neighbors. As a white person who grew up in this city I'm continually ashamed and embarrassed by our inability as a society to right the wrongs of segregation and oppression, of which the MPD has been largely complicit in for generations.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 2:11:20 PM

This comment is for the Charter Commission. Please hear the cry of the people of Minneapolis. We are afraid of our police force. To see another Minneapolis resident killed by an officer so soon after Philando Castille is not only horrifying, it is an outrage. And then to witness the Minneapolis police, our employees, brutalize residents with chemical and physical violence during protests against police violence, made it abundantly clear that they feel absolute contempt for the very people they are pledged to protect. As I watch our country sink into chaos and despair as a result of obscene misconduct by our corrupt guardians, I am telling you, we must do better. Our police force is out of control. They are hurting our neighbors with no remorse. I want to see a plan that removes immunity, downsizes the force, and rebuilds our community in ways that respect the needs of our people. It is your job to steer our city in a better direction. Defund the violence in our city. Do your job!

Ward 9 7/23/2020 2:14:15 PM

It is imperative that you let the city of Minneapolis vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We have seen how time and time again the MPD has disproportionately failed the residents of Minneapolis and we need to create a new system of safety that actually keeps our residents safe.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 2:17:31 PM

Dear Charter Commission,

I am writing to ask that you please allow us, the citizens of Minneapolis, to vote on the proposed amendment to the Charter. The future of the police department should be up to the voters through the democratic process, not by unelected decision makers.

I believe that the only way to keep our neighbors, and particularly our Black and Brown neighbors, safe, is to remove the MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. Reform is not enough. Reform did not save George Floyd. Our Black community members will continue to be murdered by the police no matter what changes there are to their rules and regulations.

I am white, and even I do not feel protected by the MPD. In fact, I was shot at by them when the city was under curfew. I had my hands up, and was yelling that I was only walking a vulnerable neighbor home (just down the block). Without pause, they started shooting rubber bullets. I had always known that they are not a force that actually creates a safe environment, but I felt it so viscerally on that night.

Please allow voters to decide on this amendment. It is the right thing to do for democracy and for the safety of this city's residents.

Best,

Ward 10

7/23/2020 2:18:03 PM

I am a member of the Ward 6 community and a clinical social worker that supports youth experiencing homelessness. I have heard multitudes of stories from youth experiencing horrific acts from the Minneapolis Police Department, ranging from blatant neglect to extensive violence and abuse. it is against not only my ethical code in this work but my own values to continue allowing MPD to harm our youth. The future of Minneapolis' safety should be up to a vote this upcoming November through a democratic process. We need to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. I will not settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 6

7/23/2020 2:20:33 PM

I have benn a long time off and on resident of Minneapolis. We have an unfortunate and long history of police brutality against people of color. Community policing and the addition of mental health team would make a big difference to the safety of ALL of our residents. Please defund the militaristic aspects of the Minneapolis Police Department. They should be catching criminals, not choking or shooting black men because they can and get away with it.

Ward 13

7/23/2020 2:22:12 PM

The City of Minneapolis cannot allow the disproportionate and aggressive targeting of our Black community by the MPD to continue. As human beings we have a moral obligation to right the atrocities that have occurred here in Minneapolis and prevent future ones. The people of Minneapolis need and want aggressive change to how we keep our city safe. Change the charter, do not let this momentum slow, do not let the tragic murder of George Floyd end with nothing, let our voices be heard, let us vote.

Ward 13

7/23/2020 2:23:27 PM

When the City Council announced they would disband the Police, crime went out of control. People act as if there are no laws. Voting before there is a plan is not wise. Please have a concrete plan to present to the voters on how safety will be accomplished before we vote.

Ward 6

7/23/2020 2:26:32 PM

The Charter Commission has a responsibility to make the best decision for Minneapolis about the future of the MPD, and it needs to allow the public to vote on it. The commission cannot guarantee a representative process without a vote free of voter suppression on the City Charter amendment.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 2:42:13 PM

The future of MPD should be up to the citizens of Minneapolis--not the unelected Charter Commission. The citizens of Minneapolis must be allowed to vote on the Charter Amendment to disband MPD and create a new Department of Community Safety. No other reforms will suffice--it has been proven that MPD does not protect the most vulnerable, and the time to start working towards actual community safety is now.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 2:59:33 PM

I urge the Charter Commission to let citizens of Minneapolis vote on the future of MPD. This is a decision that should be made democratically.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 3:02:52 PM

I want to have an opportunity to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. Smaller reforms will not bring just change nor will a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 3:03:52 PM

Greetings,

I am writing to you about the Charter Commission.

The future of the MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

I want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety and I won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best

Ward 3

7/23/2020 3:08:20 PM

I fully support the proposed charter amendment. I would like to see the requirement to have the Minneapolis Police Department eliminated from the charter. I would also like to see the development of a new community safety and violence prevention department formed in it's place. It is clear to me that we need to start fresh with how safety is maintained in our city. The Minneapolis police are a violent presence. I mean this in terms of 1) actual direct violence with such things as shootings, chokings, and beatings at their hands and 2) an unevenness of power where many feel that do not have the ability to be themselves and have any authority or control in the presence of police. We need to work towards ways of putting people and their communities first (as opposed to the suppression and oppression of people and communities to maintain fear and control) when it comes to creating and maintaining safety.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 3:09:57 PM

While I was given a chance to weigh in on who should represent me on the Minneapolis City Council, I didn't have the option to elect any of the the Charter Commissioners as these are un-elected appointments. As a resident of Minneapolis, I absolutely should have a say in the future of the Minneapolis Police Department. Decisions around MPD and public safety should be determined by voters through democratic process, not by un-elected decision-makers. Thank you.

Ward 11

7/23/2020 3:25:40 PM

Please include the Charter Amendment on the upcoming ballot.

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

We want to VOTE on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We WILL NOT settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Living in South Minneapolis, I have seen directly that something MUST change. There is fear of the systems as they currently stand in our neighborhood, and a hunger for something new. Something that works for everyone, especially the vulnerable.

We have the ability to create something that will address the needs of the many- to target the homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse problems that we face. We can prevent violence by funneling resources to programs that heal. PLEASE GIVE US THAT OPPORTUNITY. WE DEMAND CHANGE.

We DEMAND change of the status quo, and we DEMAND that you include this charter amendment to be included on the upcoming ballot.

Thank you for your consideration. We have faith that you will do the right thing for your community.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 3:28:09 PM

I e lived in Minneapolis all my life and work full time and pay a mortgage and city property tax and state and federal tax.

I have been trying to follow this, especially after feeling hoodwinked by the non information given to homeowners regarding 2040. This city council is not honest or transparent in their agendas.

I only discovered this proposed ammendment by commissioner issacson via a neighborhood social media group. And that is with me following oretty earnestly. I can’t imagine what other full time working residents of this city get because they rely on their city officials to be honest working in their behalf— something I think more and more residents are realizing is not the case. However, two week for this is not enough, especially with the organized activist groups organizing scripted telephone calls during the public hearing times. This is completely unfair, and as such- if there is a class action lawsuit against the city regarding this, I will be full on board.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 3:30:24 PM

I am calling on the charter commission to remove investments in MPD and reinvest our energy, money, and hearts in services that are responsive to and safe for our communities- unlike a police department that does not properly value Black life.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 3:34:24 PM

Decisive and timely changes must be made to policing in Minneapolis low income neighborhoods. It is what the citizens want. A certain amount of time is needed to ensure sufficient community engagement, but the charter should be adjusted as soon as possible - November 2020- to allow for the changes that a general consensus determines, and not be limited by narrow thinking now.

Ward 12

7/23/2020 3:36:48 PM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 3:42:00 PM

Please let the people of Minneapolis vote on the charter amendment. It is so important, now more than ever, that the voices of the people are heard. Listen to Minneapolis. Put the charter amendment on the ballot.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 3:42:25 PM

Let me start by saying that I am a Black man, and I deplore the treatment I have witnessed (some firsthand) by some members of the MPD. However, I strongly disagree with the need to abolish the police force. The problems we face aren’t the result of an institution, but of the attitudes that exist within the department and many many other factions of the city. If you really want to make a difference in the lives of Black citizens, start by overhauling the public school system. Then work on the lending practices of banks that prevent or restrict homeownership. Those institutions are negatively impacting our community across the board much more than the MPD.

Ward 11

7/23/2020 3:44:48 PM

The MPD needs to be voted on by the public! Give us the chance to make the charter work for the people of Minneapolis!

Ward 4 7/23/2020 3:56:06 PM

While I firmly believe that the current system of policing in Minneapolis is broken beyond repair, the proposed amendment does not serve the purpose of re-imagining how law enforcement and public safety should be managed. We should not make a change to the charter unless and until there is a well- researched, clearly stated, fully debated and publicly approved plan for what replaces the current system. The entire community needs to be involved in that discussion. It must rely on the most recent and evidence-based research about best practices for this type of re-imagined public safety system. The issues facing the city are too dire and the stakes are too high to rush something onto the ballot before there is a clear plan for how to move forward. The status quo is not acceptable. Neither is magical thinking about what comes next. The needless deaths of George Floyd and so many others demand we do this right. We cannot afford (morally, ethically, politically, socially, financially) to get it wrong.

13-year resident of Ward 5, 40-year resident of Minnesota

Ward 5

7/23/2020 3:57:22 PM

LET US VOTE! The future of Minneapolis should be up to the people of Minneapolis. We want a say in what happens to the MPD. We want to be the ones who decide -- through the democratic process -- instead of unelected decisionmakers. The MPD needs to be removed from the charter and a Department of Community Safety needs to be established in its place. This is the ONLY route.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 4:02:47 PM

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 4:20:38 PM

Hello, My name is xxxxxxxxxxx. I don't reside in Minneapolis, but I do live in Minnetonka, and what happens with policing in Minneapolis will echo out to the suburbs over time, so I am invested in what happens with MPD funding.

Please allow Minneapolis residents to use their democratic rights and vote on the future of MPD. If this summer has taught us anything, it is that Minnesotans want to see real reform in policing and community safety. Allow them to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter in favor of the Department of Community Safety.

Thank you,

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 4:24:59 PM

The charter amendment is vital to the future safety, health, and well-being of Black residents and the betterment of the entire Minneapolis community. The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through a democratic process, which means putting the amendment on the ballot for voters as soon as possible. I want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. It is clear from the events of this summer that trying piecemeal reforms will only guarantee more of the same -- a vote is necessary to effect badly needed change by defunding MPD and establishing a new, non-policing agency in its place.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 4:28:29 PM

I am a Minneapolis resident living in Ward 9 in the Phillips neighborhood and I am STRONGLY urging the Charter Commission to give us a chance to vote on this Charter amendment in November. The future of the Minneapolis Police Department should be decided by the community, not a select number of unelected officials. We deserve to have our voices hear. Let us vote!

Ward 9

7/23/2020 4:36:58 PM

If you adopt the proposed amendment by girard issacson , you will essentially be defunding the police. And being given TWO WEEKS to do it, without broad (ie non special interest group) input. The working class of the city will have no say as they are busy working. You will be putting their safety at risk by this. As it is, the city police are 400 (and soon to be more) man power short and crime is rampant. The council has demonized the police and this needs to be reversed for the crime to subside. You will absolutely cause the collapse of the city.is this the feel good easy way out for the charter commission?

Ward 2

7/23/2020 4:42:10 PM

Put the City Council's proposed Charter amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety on the ballot for the residents of the City to vote on in November. I want to have the opportunity to weigh in on the safety and wellbeing of my fellow Minneapolis residents. I have seen how the police have treated the residents of our City as if they were an occupying force, and frankly am frightened of them. I'm tired of watching horrific displays of human rights violations play out on our streets and want major change; small tweaks are not enough. I won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 4:59:15 PM

The City Councils Charter Amendment (if it's allowed on the ballot) doesn't by itself eliminate or cut a single officer/dollar from MPD (even if it's approved by voters).

What it does do is allow for alternatives to take shape. We all know that will take time. Citizens should be able to vote on this. Any effort to not allow citizens to vote is an obstacle to true democratic process.

Ward 12

7/23/2020 5:10:35 PM

The movement that began after George Floyd's death calls for the defunding of the Minneapolis Police Department. This decision should be made using the democratic process, by the voters of Minneapolis. We want to vote on an amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. The commission must submit the amendment to the ballot, not make unilateral decisions.

Ward 11

7/23/2020 5:16:52 PM

An overhaul of the Minneapolis Police Department, and how the city thinks of public safety is necessary to ensure the vitality of our community. The people of Minneapolis deserve to vote on a charter amendment to remove MPD, and to create a new Department of Community Safety that actually meets the needs of the city. A different amendment to the charter that doesn't provide the city with such reforms is unacceptable, especially if it comes from unelected decision makers, and not via the democratic process.

Ward 10

7/23/2020 5:18:53 PM

My strong opinion is that something must change with the way policing is done in Minneapolis, particularly for people of color but also for the community as a whole. At this point, I am afraid of two things. My first fear is that we lose the opportunity and current momentum for change and end up putting a Band-Aid on the current dysfunctional system. My second fear is that we go too far with untested changes and end up with a system that is well intended but bureaucratic and ineffective.

I am not in agreement with the City Council proposal. This proposal both provides too much detail (e.g., the credentials of the department head) and too little information about how this structure would work (e.g., may maintain a division of law enforcement). While I believe that the City Council members have good intentions and want to create a transformational structure, they have not given me cause for confidence in their approach or leadership of this critical change. To put this on the fall ballot without a complete plan in place would be divisive, irresponsible and a distraction from starting the work that needs to be done.

I am in favor of the Charter Commission’s proposal to eliminate the minimum staffing requirement in the city charter. I would like to give Medaria Arradondo, Mayor Frey and others the support they need to begin transformational change. This will be a long process and additional changes can be made as it unfolds. This will require unprecedented concessions from the FOP - but I believer that there are many good officers who will be willing to help the transformation process.

Ward 5 7/23/2020 5:19:37 PM

It's time to allow the citizens of Minneapolis to determine how our police force functions. Allow the City Council's proposed amendment to be voted on in November.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 5:20:52 PM

I would suggest that ONLY the following words be DELETED in Article VII, (a),(2),(c):

"of at least 0.0017 employees per resident," and "up to 0.3 percent of its value annually. This tax is in addition to any other tax,"

Why?

Mandating programs and services without mandating a way to pay for them is bad business, bad governing and can result lack of said services.

Not all police officers are poor employees.

Our city should change the existing systems, which are already in place, rather than creating another system that hasn't been designed. Time and dollars to create and implement a totally new system can be significantly more costly over the revamp of an existing system. Who pays and how?

Emotions have been vital as an impetus for change. Implementation should appreciate emotions, but they need be set aside when making decisions.

Ward 11

7/23/2020 5:21:40 PM

The fate of the MPD should be up to voter, not unelected officials.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 4

7/23/2020 5:28:32 PM

I have read the Charter Commission's proposed amendment of July 20 and I cannot think what it hopes to accomplish.

It is milquetoast and spineless. Put real change on the ballot. Do not listen to police shills. They like having power. They like carrying guns in public. They are the only ones afraid of democracy.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 5:31:10 PM

Please allow the future of MPD to be decided by voters of Minneapolis. I want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 5:45:17 PM

Dear Charter Commission members

I am a 63-year-old homeowner who has lived in Linden Hills for 30+ years. My husband and I raised our family here.

I urge you to put the question proposed by the city council on the ballot this November and let the people of Minneapolis decide. I support disbanding our current police department and replacing it with a department of public safety that that better reflects our values, our demographics and just do a plain better job than our current department.

Our current department has failed us in so many ways. I do not believe it can be reformed. Nor do I think we will get much protection from them in the future, due to the "Blue Flu," mass disability filings, lack of accountability, etc. the MPD already has an abysmal record when it comes to solving homicides, investigating rape, preventing crimes and interacting with the public.

So the safety of our city depends on being able to dismantle and replace th department, sooner not later. Like so many residents, I have found myself in positions where I hesitated to call the police because I feared they would only make the situation worse with their violence and racism. I do not feel safe with the current police force.

While I appreciate your service, none of you were elected.I think putting additional charter amendments----drafted by your members---would be confusing to voters and unnecessary.

Please allow Minneapolis residents and taxpayers to make this decision at the ballot box.

Many thanks and all the best,

Linden Hills

Ward 13

7/23/2020 5:47:17 PM

I was born in Winona, Minnesota but I lived in MinneapoIis as a renter, then a homeowner, in both north and south Mpls for over 30 years. When I married my second husband (now of 20 years) we moved to his home in the western suburbs where I now live. I still have strong allegiance to Minneapolis and miss not living there.

I recall that when my daughter was growing up in Minneapolis, she had related her high school experience (in the 1980s) of driving with her black friends, of them being pulled over for no reason, and when the officers shined the light in the car and saw her white face they asked her if SHE was alright. She was so indignant! What kind of police have nothing better to do than harass black kids for no good reason. She said it wasn't an isolated incident for her friends. In those days, it wasn't violently deadly as it is now to be "driving while black." Or at least, to my white knowledge and experience it wasn't! Currently things are out of hand with the overt militarization of our local city police officers and the system of policing needs a huge reboot not only in Mpls but in our whole country. Note Portland, Oregon today, 7/23/73, where federal government military goons (or mercenaries from Blackwater?) are seriously injuring (including moms who came out to protect protestors) and kidnapping peaceful protestors in unmarked rented cars and holding them for undetermined times).

The Mpls police who murdered George Floyd were the catalyst to wake up the rest of us to demand change in the horrific state of policing in this city of Mpls, in our state, and in our country. You are on the cutting edge of change at this time in history. Change is coming whether or not you act fairly or justly and are willing to listen to a peaceful, sane, clear, reasonable request from your citizens to "put it to a vote" as to whether or not to allow an amendment to the Mpls city charter to "create a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department and remove the Police Department from the Charter." This seems like such a non-brainer! Either way you win! If the amendment passes or fails, it will be because the people (so far, this still is a democracy that we live in, correct?...one person, one vote?) will prevail. It is not your job to babysit Mpls adult citizens and enforce your values upon them. What you are being asked is straightforward and long overdue. Minneapolis Police (especially, but not only nor all) are in need of a system change. I expect that the healthy officers in the Mpls police department will not fight this kind of accountability and change to their job description and will apply to be part of the community and violence prevention department. Mpls still needs mentally healthy, non-biased, intelligent, caring men and women to serve the community in issues regarding overt criminality. The system Mpls currently has in operation is NOT conducive to keeping and attracting a majority of those kind of people, as evidenced by the horrifying George Floyd execution. Mpls needs to change the way it's officers work in its city and this is the time to take meaningful steps towards making that happen. The community has been traumatized beyond enough.

Please, listen to these reasonable people who are asking you to let voters decide in November to “create a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department and remove the Police Department from the Charter.” Let your voters decide.

Sincerely,

Shorewood, MN

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 5:59:11 PM

This will be posted as much as I can everywhere;

The alternate ammendment they are putting forth eliminates the minimum spending for the police ( currently 0.0017 police for every 10,000 citizens). It would eliminate that and give control of police budget to the city council, and you know what that means. So essentially the commission is also defunding the police. The public hearings are taken over by a small yet organized and vocal group of activists and dosent consider the average working joe of the city.

Please let your voice be heard on this and email the charter commission.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 6:04:06 PM

I am a concerned St. Paul resident writing in support of Minneapolis residents demanding that the amendment to remove MPD from the Minneapolis charter and create a new Department of Community Safety be brought to a ballot vote. The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision-makers. Thank you for your time, consideration, and adherence to democracy.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 6:04:57 PM

Hello,

I am writing with deep concern that the requests of community members aren't being heard. It seems like many many people are writing and calling in advocating for the council's amendment to be voted on in the November election. It is your responsibility as the charter commission to listen to the people, and respond to what we are asking. We are asking to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter. This decision should be left up to voters, not your small group of unelected decisionmakers. The fact that you all can decide whether it even should go on the ballot puts way too much power into your hands! I ask you all to use it to allow for the democratic process to work the way so many of us talk about wanting it to. To be driven by community and decided upon by those most impacted.

Thank you for listening to community.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 6:12:30 PM

I have read the proposed charter amendment for Public safety transformation. There appears to be one put forth by the MN city council and one by the Charter Commission.

The one put forth by the Charter Commission seems to mostly address minimum funding and removing the current language. What is the purpose of removing the current tax percentage funding formula ? And which body will be responsible to determining the funding allocation of the police dept going forward instead ? How frequently will it be set ? I think that removing the current language without replacing it by a clear path for who is responsible for funding makes no sense and could leave our department hanging dry

As far as the city council charter proposal : am I missing something ? This is hardly a proposal. The language is vague. As a resident wanting to see change in city law enforcement practices, public safety diversification, and accountability, I absolutely cannot stand behind the current proposal as drafted. I kept looking for another document with more details on key elements of transforming our current law enforcement structure: what are those new elements ? where is the funding coming from and who decides where it goes ? Who else will comprise the non-law enforcement workforce ?

I also feel the lack of definite language on the remaining law enforcement unit to be alarming to say the least . There "MAY" be a law enforcement unit ? Is this serious ? I am in favor of a diversification of the current police structure towards a different mix of public safety workforce, as well as long term investment in violence prevention , but I live couple of blocks from flying bullets, and personal assaults with weapons that will, sadly, still require at minimal a co-response with properly equipped law enforcement. ( pls refer to MSP crime map for the last 3 months if you have any questions ). As such, I cannot vote in favor of the current proposal without some very serious modifications and expansion of the proposal in much greater detail.

I look forward to seeing a valid charter amendment proposal for real public safety on the ballot in November. One that has enough actual information that I can support because I would actually know what I am voting for

Ward 10

7/23/2020 6:19:50 PM

The citizens are the ones who should decide how they want safety in their communities to be upheld. Minneapolis needs to lead the way on this issue to create a safer, more democratic America. Allow citizens to vote on the charter!

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 6:31:33 PM

I worked for 6+ years in memory care at a MN nursing home. Every time we called for ambulance transport a cop showed up with the EMTs. 95% of the time cops agitated and escalated my residents with dementia. Staff always had to explain, intervene and calm the situation. I remember continuing to be surprised and disappointed that cops had no idea how to talk to people with dementia. These were wealthy white people with dementia at a private pay assisted living. I can’t imagine if they were poor or BIPOC also. I’m regretful of how naively I did not realize how deeply drastic the problem is. We need empathetic souls on the streets immediately.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 6:34:09 PM

AGAIN;

Just FYI: the charter commission has put forth an alternate amendment- whic if it gets approved in two weeks, will let that alternate amendment AND the original amendment by the city council to go through on the rushed November ballot. The only way the amendment will have more time and get voted on in a year is if the charter commission now requests more time. The alternate ammendment they are putting forth eliminates the minimum spending for the police ( currently 0.0017 police for every 10,000 citizens). It would eliminate that and give control of police budget to the city council, and you know what that means. So essentially the commission is also defunding the police.

The public hearings are taken over by a small yet organized and vocal group of activists and dosent consider the average working joe of the city.

Please let your voice be heard on this and email the charter commission.

Are you caving, charter commission— or taking the easy way out? Does isaacson have a secret agenda? These are all questions that will come out.

Pretty soon, South Dakota will take the at home jobs, businesses will leave , and this city will crumble into a wave of violence and death.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 6:50:55 PM

Posting this to as many places as possible:

The public hearings are taken over by a small yet organized and vocal group of activists and dosent consider the average working joe of the city.

Please let your voice be heard on this and email the charter commission.

The charter commission has taken the easy and self congratulatory way out!!

Ward 8

7/23/2020 6:57:10 PM

I support the Charter Commission’s proposal. I do not support the City Council proposal. The City Council’s proposal is a knee jerk reaction brought forth by radical members of the City Council.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 7:08:00 PM

Minneapolis residents - all of us - deserve a department that can actually impact public safety in positive and important ways. This means not only doing better for believing survivors of sexual assault, physical assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and stalking, but ALSO a department that does not actively harm over 20% of the population by creating an environment of fear. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color deserve a city that they can feel safe in. The MPD has demonstrated over its 150 year history that it has not provided this - and that even reforms have not addressed the disproportionate amount of violence faced by BIPOC folks from the police. This is unacceptable. Reforms don't work. We need a new plan, and the Minneapolis City Council's proposed amendment to the City Charter allows us the flexibility to build that plan. The Charter Commission's plan is too little of a change. We must put the City Council's amendment on the ballot in November. Let the people decide!

Ward 6

7/23/2020 7:08:17 PM

Please let us vote on the amendment changing the requirement for a police department in the charter. Thank you!

Ward 7

7/23/2020 7:14:51 PM

I do not agree with this proposal. Once again you have not asked long term homeowners for our input. My city council member does not return my phone calls. It is obvious that she does not care what I think.

I have never experienced the lack of respect from a council member in the 30 years that I have lived in my neighborhood.

I have had numerous instances of crime at my home including gunshots through my window 1 foot below where my son ( who was 7 at the time) was sleeping. It seems as if the people who are making decisions have no idea what it is like to live in an area where there is a constant threat of crime.

I used to care about my neighborhood and have worked to make it better but you have left me no choice but to sell my beloved home and get out of Minneapolis.

Ward 9

7/23/2020 7:33:20 PM

Allow the city to vote on the amendment our elected city council members put together. I’m a white woman who has lived in Phillips, Cedar-Riverside, Whittier, and Kingfield over the last 20 years. I almost never call the police because I have had seen the problems first hand. A friend treated terribly after she was raped, dismissive and uninterested response to threats by a landlord (which were on my voicemail and they didn’t care to hear). A number of my white neighbors who come from non-urban areas seem to call 911 like it’s customer service. It’s past time to rethink public safety and public investment in our city.

The charter commission isn’t an appropriate place for this to get jammed up. Let us vote.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 7:46:03 PM

To the Charter Commission,

I am writing to ask you to allow a ballot question to be put on the November ballet that allows Minneapolis residents to vote on amending the charter to eliminate minimum staff numbers for the Minneapolis Police Department. This is a decision that should be made by the people of Minneapolis. We all deserve to have input in the future of community safety in our city.

Thank you,

Ward 10

7/23/2020 8:01:50 PM

I support Black Visions and Reclaim the Block. I believe that the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

I want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 8:06:05 PM

To the Charter Commission:

I'm writing to urge you to approve the proposed change to remove MPD as a city department and create a new department of community safety.

As your fellow citizen of Minneapolis, it is important to me that you and I vote on this measure as citizens. I want equal footing with you on the future of this city. Since I did not elect the Charter Commission, I fail to see why you should have more power over this decision than I do.

Please speed this process along and allow all Minneapolis residents to decide on the future of our city.

Sincerely,

Ward 11

7/23/2020 8:15:43 PM

I believe the future of MPD should be up to the voters through a democratic process and not decided upon by unelected officials. The MPD is currently tasked to handle many social problems they are not trained, equipped, nor have the right mental attitude to deal with. For instance, mental health crises should be dealt with individuals trained to handle them that have an empathetic mindset. I have known many police officers personally, and many who left the field after paying for a four year college education in criminal justice due to the "culture". After dealing with criminal element over time, it is nearly impossible to hold on to that empathy and not be a cynical human being. Furthermore, many criminal problems can be prevented if the proper funding were diverted to social programs for mental health, addiction and access to recovery, job training, etc... A lot of crime is a result of desperation. Desperation to have money for living, desperation stemming from an untreated addiction, and so forth. Who knows where these individuals would be if they had access to programs to help them. This would also lower the amount of individuals incarcerated, which costs the state millions.

7/23/2020 8:26:37 PM

The voters of Minneapolis are the ones who should decide the future of MPD. With so many recent developments and so much information about MPD coming to light, the entire agency needs to be re- evaluated and face a referendum from the constituents. To restore community trust in the process, the charter amendment needs to be available for public vote. The City Council promised the people of Minneapolis a new future for public safety, and the community needs to vote on the proposed amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety, not a new amendment from the Commission. This is a matter of the public and as such should be up for public vote.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 8:27:25 PM

The police are a profoundly undemocratic institution-- unaccountable for their brutal, racist violence against the community; impervious to progressive reforms; forever incapable of reaching a respectable solve rate for the cases residents care most about. As community members, we fund this institution that we have no formal political power to change. That is perverse and unjust.

The voters of this city deserve the opportunity to vote on the proposed amendment. The communities who are rising up to protest this violence deserve to be heard. Make no mistake: if you deny this ballot measure, you are actively getting in the way of the democratic process. That will only make the conditions in this city more untenable.

I deserve this vote. My neighbors deserve this vote. We demand it.

Ward 1

7/23/2020 8:47:43 PM

I do not support the City Council’s current proposal. I support a narrower proposal that would remove the language requiring a certain number of police officers relative to the city’s population. I think a police department is needed, but the size may need to be reduced and funding redirected. I also do not think the City Council should have more authority over the police department. Further weakening of the mayor’s office will diffuse authority and accountability.

Ward 13

7/23/2020 8:51:50 PM

This charter will not keep Minneapolis safe.

Ward 5

7/23/2020 9:03:43 PM

I need a LOT MORE time to digest all of the proposed changes to the city charter. The possible consequences are too large to be so cavalier about this and only give us 100 days to consider it on top of all of the other madness going on. DONOT force us to vote on this charter amendment in 2020!!!!!

Ward 4

7/23/2020 9:10:42 PM

Do not defund the police. People are being attacked by brazen teens and young adults, grab and go style, especially against women, and we need more police!

Ward 10

7/23/2020 9:10:46 PM

As a resident of a high crime area i know Police are not solving the crime problem. They are overwhelmed. We need more money for afgordable housing, equal access to high quality education and mental health resources along with JOBS! Let us vote and decide if less funding for police can equal more funding for things that end poverty.

Ward 5

7/23/2020 9:18:48 PM

Defunding or abolishing the Minneapolis Police Department is in a sense turning our city over to the criminals, gangs, rapists, murders, and thugs and allowing them to run rampant. The amount of security to the community member will be lost, as will any future events that tend to bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars to the city. We cannot survive with less police than we have now. If anything, more officers need to be added to the ranks. Not all citizens can afford private security to follow them around, and I highly doubt that this service, though paid for by the city for council members, will be provided to private citizens at a cost to be absorbed by the city. Please think of your citizens and let cooler heads prevail. I for one do not want to have to count on a therapist or social worker to stop a person who is robbing my home. This defunding or abolishing the police was one really, really stupid move by the equally insane council members. Are they willing to be called at all hours of the day and night to assist citizens with criminals? I doubt it. I am hoping that there will be enough people who will not allow this to happen. Nothing like elected officials, who, many probably do not live within their wards, telling community members what they think will be best for all. I for one, can hardly wait for election day. My vote won't be for any current council member. Please think really hard before handing our city over to the criminal element that current exists.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 9:22:37 PM

We all need to be involved in decisions on how to make our city a better place to live. Please bring the decision to the voters and put it on the ballot!

Ward 12 7/23/2020 9:25:25 PM

I reside in Eagan, MN, but have a vested interest in the Minneapolis City Council Charter Amendment as my perceptions as to the safety of traveling to Minneapolis will determine whether I visit the city to engage in entertainment, sporting & cultural events.

My thoughts on Council proposed amendment:

1) Section 7.3 1 (b) of the Council proposed amendment should be changed from {The Council "may" maintain....} to {The Council WILL (or shall) maintain...}... I suspect that a majority of voting citizens see the need for the role of some # of "peace officers" to enforce laws...or at least handle violent scenarios. Using the word "may" simple casts doubt of conviction & sows distrust into the electorate.... The Council should make the commitment & use the word WILL .... It takes the criticism off the table & makes the amendment easier to sell to the public (the Council always retains the right for funding/staffing)

2) Section 7.3 1 should end with a period after "....safety services". The remaining phrase should be deleted. It limits the potential applicants with wording that needs defining anyway. Why use wording in a charter that places limits on something as important as selecting the leader? This section should be kept broad...do not limit options.

My thoughts for City Council on pursuing successful passage at the ballot box:

1) I support the concept of "Defund Police" but this is simply a talking point meant for "shock effect". Citizens want details. I come from the business world (Logistics). The Council & all proponents should "re-brand" the concept as "Outsource Police Services". It is a commonly accepted business process to move duties/tasks from generalists to specialists. Today's police officers are "generalists" and it's very hard for generalists to fill all expectations successfully. Move to specialists thru "outsourcing" is a better path to obtain desired outcomes. The City Council should "rebrand" the path forward to make the concept more acceptable & ensure transition concept will pass with voters.

2) The Police Union is a roadblock to the outcome the Council desires. "Outsourcing" is a traditional way to eliminate labor relation "issues" in industry. The Council should take a public stance on this so as to elicit support among the public

Opinion: Once unions have satisfied wages, benefits & working conditions, their primary task is to address grievances...which really means they spend a lot of time & effort protecting the "bad apples"...the good apples don't have issues... The decisions of the chief on personnel should be final.... no appeal... This is the change that can have the best positive effect in the long term.

All for your consideration

Eagan, MN

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/23/2020 9:25:51 PM

I am opposed to both the Minneapolis City Council's proposed amendment and the Charter Commission's proposed amendment as they relate to the Police Department and/or Community Safety and Violence Prevention. The Minneapolis City Council should vote against the Minneapolis City Charter to provide for the establishment of a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department and to remove the Police Department. This plan is not detailed. This plan does not replicate a successful model. This plan doe snot address the funding of this proposed department.

In regard to the Charter Commission should vote against The Minneapolis City Charter being amended to remove the minimum funding requirements of the Police Force. From where will the funding originate if the funding is removed? As the proposal stands, it does not address changes to the structure of the existing Police Force. The proposal stands to maintain the Police Force. However, these people still need to be monetarily compensated. In regard to any change in the structure of either the existing Police Force or a replacement of a differing structure, that entity needs to be funded.

I urge the Commission to not make any changes in haste. Please demonstrate to the good people of Minneapolis proven strategies in any change to or replacement of the police force.

Thank you for your time and service.

Ward 11

7/23/2020 9:26:21 PM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers.We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 9:54:41 PM

To whom it may concern,

Let the people vote on changing the charter – let the voices of those who live in this city, raise their children in this city, and plan to grow old and die in this city vote for the future of this city. To do otherwise is abdication of your duties to the people of Minneapolis. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, to not let the people vote after MPD caused our city to be torn apart would not just be a policy failure, but a moral failing as well.

Ward 7

7/23/2020 9:56:36 PM

Respectfully, members of the charter commission are unelected and thus voters of Minneapolis should be the decision makers on the future of the MPD. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We will not settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 8

7/23/2020 10:19:25 PM

I am all for reform within the MPD and redirecting some of the funds at some point. But right now, this very instant we need more not less police. Within the last 6 weeks there have been 3 murders 2 blocks from my home. Numerous car jackings, assaults and gun fire every single night. We need help!

Ward 8

7/23/2020 10:25:19 PM

I watch this city council, it's clear they lack critical thinking skills, accountability, and common sense.

I hope they can truly see how much they have in common with someone they truly hate, Donald Trump.

True leaders brings people together, not tear them apart. Takes conversations from all sides and tries to bring commonality and compromises for all. The council lack leadership, they care more about their power and pushing ideology then truly making a better tomorrow. In any of their proposals have they attempted a show a single study, data or any details to support their ideology for change. Its careless and dangerous.

Its shocks me people who claim to care so much about the city would push something so poorly planned and rushed, people who would rather have power and control and rule over garbage then to actually critically think and make sure their actions were for certain and bringing about good.

A cities first priority is the saftey of its citizens. Without it, people leave, business leave. Your city suffers. Now it understandable you want to tear everything apart after what happened, but your actions and statements have only lead to more bloodshed. In two months we have as many shootings as we had last year. 37 deaths and it's safe to say we will have more than last year with 5 months left! You have muted safety and have offered no suggestions on how to fix it or even taken responsibility...again I hope that reminds you of Trump

I read recently you plan to pass a vote on controlling the police narrative, moving reports into your control. That scares me. I have little trust you will report actual data or change the narrative to fit ideology. You have shown that has been you modus operandi.

Please take a look in the mirror and reflect and make sure this is truly the people you want to be. They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. With the little power you've had and your willingness to eagerly attain more with out checks and balances for all. I fear you are absolutely on your corrupt way.

Ward 3

7/23/2020 10:53:09 PM

Please move forward with this. Hire more police that live in Minneapolis, strengthen oversight, make police cover their own liability insurance, and reallocate police finds to other city services and mental health supports.

Ward 4

7/23/2020 10:58:03 PM

Just talk of defunding the police has done enough damage to the city. People feel free to commit crimes and have no consequences. I’ve lived in Mpls for over 15years and the past few months have made me scared to go for walks in my own neighborhood. Since the rioting I no longer feel safe in Mpls and am actively searching for homes outside Mpls so I can feel safe again. Unarmed, untrained civilians will not do anything to deter, prevent or stop crime. I fully support reform, outside police union judgement/input on officer complaints, and deploying social workers or trained professionals to handle mental illness calls etc. BUT I guarantee you social workers won’t go to calls without feeling safe and being accompanied by an officer. I used to work in an emergency room and social workers always had security nearby or in the room, watching on camera etc.

Ward 2

7/23/2020 10:58:25 PM

I'm incredibly frustrated with the Charter Commission's intervention against the council's amendment. Your site states that the charter is meant to be the foundation through which "a community establishes and maintains a municipal corporation to provide for the common health, safety, and welfare of its people."

The last few months the community has spoken on how it best wants to provide for the common safety of its people, and it is not through the Minneapolis Police Department. All we want is a chance to bring this community voice to a formal vote and establish this need for safety outside of police into the constitution of our city.

For our elected officials to have unanimously agreed on a path forward is an enormous task, and for the unelected commission to be standing in the way of it going to vote is a disastrous blow to democracy. This being a presidential election promises that there will be a much higher voter turnout, and I'll be incredibly disappointed if this commission cannot get the council's amendment on this November's ballot.

Ward 6

7/23/2020 11:34:25 PM

Overall, it seems that putting the City Council’s proposed charter amendment on the ballot this November is placing the cart before the horse. I support transformative change in the way we do public safety. But that change needs to be done in a planful way. The City Council recently passed a resolution announcing that it was commencing “a year-long process” to conduct research and engage with community stakeholders in order to come up with a plan. At a minimum, I would expect to see the findings and recommendations that come out of that process, before voting on the proposed amendment. Thus, a vote this year seems premature.

That being said, I can understand a desire to use a vote this November to gauge whether the public supports major change. The risk of that approach, of course, is that many who do support change will vote against the amendment due to the lack of information about what the change will look like and how it will be implemented. But I assume that the City Council has already given this likelihood weight in deciding to seek the amendment now. Should the City Council’s proposed amendment move forward, I would like to ensure that consideration has been given to whether it warrants any change to the Charter’s designation (in Article IV) of the type of vote needed for City Council actions. Under § 4.4, votes on certain types of matters (e.g. to “sell realty” or “regrade a graded street”) require a “supermajority” of two-thirds or three-fourths of council members to pass. Other matters just require a majority vote. What type of majority is appropriate for the decisions the City Council will be making with respect to the “community safety and violence prevention” that its proposed amendment would place under its control? I am sure this matter has already been raised, but I wanted to make sure it has been thought through.

Thank you all for your service to the city.

Ward 12

7/23/2020 11:35:40 PM

Please let us vote. A true democracy should lies in the hands of our citizens. Citizens of minnesota have the right to decide on the future of where they live.

7/23/2020 11:57:30 PM

We are in a pandemic. People need housing. People need healthcare. People need mental health support. They do not need our violent, punitive, unaccountable police force. They do not need MPD.

The City Charter is protecting this police department when in fact the future of MPD should be decided by the people of this city. The Charter Commission was not elected by us, and it should not have the power to make these decisions for us.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the chrater and create a new Department of Community Safety. This is the only option. We do not want smaller reforms. We do not want a different Charter amendment. Let us vote.

Ward 9

7/24/2020 12:44:30 AM

You have not accommodated deaf people which means they have not had the RIGHT to participate therefore you have BROKEN the LAW— but who cares about police and laws, right? Now the police department is skinned by the council by taking away theirspokesman— no other city has ever done this!

There will be a lawsuit against your discrimination against the citizens of Minneapolis in your rush to push this through and denying their right to participate .

First it’s the city council, now the charter commission is in bed with them.

Ward 8

7/24/2020 12:47:20 AM

Dear City Charter Commissioners,

Now is the time, the residents of Minneapolis are ready to make progressive changes to how our police force is funded, run, and operated. Do not delay in bringing the proposal to amend the City Charter to address the creation of a new Charter Department to provide for community safety and violence prevention, and the removal of the Police Department as a Charter Department, Article VII and Article VIII to the November ballot.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Ward 2

7/24/2020 6:24:43 AM

I have lived in Minneapolis for 20 years and have had one positive interaction with the MPD and that was with an off-duty officer at my children’s elementary school auction. All others have been negative filled with condescending, bullying and threatening attitudes and actions. And I am white and have never been arrested. I am always shocked when I interact with police from different cities and they are actually kind and polite. That is not my experience here. I can’t imagine what it must be for people of color. The culture is broken and we, as policed residents, deserve the right to vote on its future.

Thank you.

Ward 7

7/24/2020 6:52:48 AM

The warrior culture in the MPD has to change. It seems to be deeply ingrained. And the officers are called to situations for which they are not trained or skilled. Their responses sometimes escalate a situation. Resources and responsibilities need to be shuffled so the right team shows up.

This is my opinion. There are other opinions. The voters should have the right to vote on this. Please move it onto the November ballot.

Ward 8

7/24/2020 7:00:43 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Please make sure this is on the ballot in November.

Ward 2

7/24/2020 7:05:01 AM

The citizens of Minneapolis deserve the opportunity to vote on the potential for an overhaul of the Minneapolis Police Department. We need a new public safety department that completely rethinks policing and safety in a way that centers the needs of our community, not the needs and wants of police officers. Let us vote to remove the police number and budgetary requirements in November.

Ward 10

7/24/2020 7:15:58 AM

We deserve to have our voices heard, let us vote to move resources from the police to where they can be used to actually support the community.

Ward 2

7/24/2020 8:03:07 AM

Dear Charter Commission,

First and foremost, please invest in the resources that will provide housing for people. Not shelters. Housing. We need to get a grip on the lack of affordable housing now. The population of human beings without housing will continue to increase--that's just simple math. We must confront it NOW. Being without housing is a root cause of so many other problems. We know that. I see this issue as directly connected with housing for our police officers. In other words, they should be housed where they work. They should know the people in their neighborhoods. Neighborhood residents should be recruited for our various community "policing" needs. We need trained COMMUNITY professionals to respond to the calls that don't require guns and riot gear. Please put the funding where it will help, not hurt. Every single time you bring up an issue and listen to the possible solutions, ask yourselves, is this helping or hurting? Please help. Help someone's son, sister, brother, aunt uncle, mother, father, friend, and neighbor. Housing. Healthcare. Food. No more crappy low-wage part-time jobs without benefits. Help. Help Help. Thank you. I appreciate you.

Ward 3

7/24/2020 8:05:43 AM

I would like to remind the Commission that the people who decide MPD's future should not be unelected decision-makers, but Minneapolis voters.

Ward 13

7/24/2020 8:13:48 AM

As a citizen of Minneapolis, I believe that the future of Minneapolis Police Department should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. This is an urgent matter and can't wait any longer. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Thank you for hearing the people of Minneapolis in demanding this opportunity for change.

Ward 2

7/24/2020 8:23:47 AM

I'm writing to urge the charter commission to let the people of Minneapolis vote on this charter amendment. The council, our elected body, put the amendment together; it is undemocratic for an unelected panel to block the people's vote.

Ward 10

7/24/2020 8:37:36 AM

Ward 1

7/24/2020 9:02:11 AM

It is in the interest of democracy for the public to be able to vote on this matter. Please do not delay in getting this issue onto the November ballot!!!

Ward 2

7/24/2020 9:08:13 AM

As a resident of Minneapolis for 5 plus years I implore the Charter Commission to allow voters decide the fate of amendments to the City Charter. Please make this a question on the November 2020 ballot.

The reckless and hostile actions of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) have for too long antagonized our neighborhoods. We live in constant fear of the very institution that avows to 'protect and serve us'. The murder of George Floyd, and many others, underscores MPD's inability to protect residents with compassion, respect and dignity.

In November, voters should decide not just the fate of MPD, but the institution(s) that will fill the role originally intended to be performed by MPD.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Ward 8

7/24/2020 9:11:28 AM

Hi,

I support the amendment from the city council as written, and would like the voters of Minneapolis to be able to decide their future by being able to vote on the amendment. Thank you -

Ward 12

7/24/2020 9:14:25 AM

To Whom It May Concern,

My family lives 5 blocks away from where George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis Police officers, and we have a two year old daughter. I want a more just society for my daughter and for her friends, and for everyone else who deserves and needs change.

During the uprising, thousands of people filled the streets here in Minneapolis, calling for an end to the reign of terror by MPD. We need housing, healthcare, support for mental health, and someone trustworthy to call for help. These things are always important, but even more so in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic (and, truthfully, the ongoing pandemic of white supremacy). Instead we have an unaccountable police force enshrined by our City Charter.

The future of the MPD must be up to the voters of Minneapolis through our democratic process, NOT by unelected decisionmakers. That's not what democracy should look like.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Please do your work and allow voters of Minneapolis to do ours. We should get to vote.

Sincerely,

Ward 9

7/24/2020 9:18:25 AM

I believe that for this amendment to pass it needs to say that there WILL be a dept of public safety staffed by professional peace officers.

Many people are afraid that “dismantling” “defunding” the police means that there will be no one to respond for actual criminal activity. If it looks like the City Council MAY do this, it appears that the decision will be in the hands of 13 people. I also do not like switching the authority over police from the Mayor to the Council. I don’t think councils or committees make good bosses. Answering to a committee isn’t something I would want to do. The Minneapolis government is already dysfunctional, giving more authority to the City Council is NOT the answer. Ward 12 7/24/2020 9:19:59 AM

I'm a former resident of Minneapolis who used to live in Ward 2. Money and funds should be divested from the MPD and put into community programs.

I don't reside in Minneapolis 7/24/2020 9:24:09 AM

My name is xxxxxxxx, and I'm a resident of Ward 10. I urge the Charter Commission to recommend that the City Council's proposed amendment be referred to voters by August 5. This is an urgent matter that requires decisive action, and it has been unanimously supported by the City Council, an elected body. It's important that the people's voices are heard and not pocket vetoed by an unelected body that doesn't represent the people who live in Minneapolis. If Commission members are concerned about the proposal, they are free to vote against it in November, but to hold it back now would be unjust.

Ward 10

7/24/2020 9:40:59 AM

7/24/2020 9:41:03 AM

I am a white woman who resides in Standish-Ericsson. I am extremely disappointed to hear the charter commission is ignoring hours of testimony by Minneapolis residents who simply want the chance to vote on this measure this November. Please. Please just give us that right. The future of the MPD should be up to the VOTERS through democratic process - not being blocked, slow walked, or toned down by a group of unelected decisionmakers (who we don't even have the power to vote out!).

We want an amendment that allows for the possibility of removing MPD from the charter, removing the cap on # of officers, and creation of a new Department of Community Safety. Please listen to the people. We are tired of waiting. Let us vote. Ward 12

7/24/2020 9:43:51 AM

Good morning. The police continue to bring violence into our neighborhoods and react out of racism/classism/ableism/queerphobia/transphobia. We want to keep our communities safe for all and find new revolutionary ways to support safety and emergency responses that do not lead to the deaths of black and brown people.

- future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. -We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Ward 4 7/24/2020 10:02:03 AM

I really want to be able to vote on the charter amendment in November. I also want to see money from MPD go to fund schools, housing, and other resources that help and support people, showing real care for the citizens of Minneapolis and lessen violence and crime by providing them with what the need.

Leaving the care of vulnerable populations to their fellow citizens through constant donations and volunteer actions is completely unsustainable! We need real change now.

Ward 5

7/24/2020 10:04:09 AM

I am writing to urge the inclusion of the charter commission on November's ballot. As is seen all over the city and through recent action by the City Council, Minneapolis citizens are demanding changes to the way that policing happens in the city. The police are not suited to play all of the roles that are heaped on them: social worker, community development, safety officer, etc. It is imperative that the people of Minneapolis are heard through our vote on what to do about the future of Minneapolis police.

Ward 5

7/24/2020 10:04:30 AM

The Charter Commission's proposed amendment is basically a rewording of the City Council's amendment. As written, it would make it appear to the voters that they are not defunding the police when they really are.

The City Council has taken a knee jerk approach to the issues in Mpls. as evidenced again by this mornings vote to eliminate the police communication staff.

The Council has not put in place any plans for how they would deal with public safety after they defund the police. They have not worked with the Mayor, police chief or business community. The citizens deserve to see a plan from the Council before they are authorized to make changes. Do not put either of these charter amendments on the ballot. Force them to work with the entire community to create a workable solution.

Ward 11

7/24/2020 10:39:10 AM

I am not at all in favor of the city council defunding police. The crime in this city is getting out of control and I don’t see it getting any better. I cannot wait for my chance to vote you all out and vote this unfortunate idea down. Just stop!

Ward 5

7/24/2020 10:40:37 AM

The Charter should be voted upon by the voters pf Minneapolis. Let Minneapolis citizens vote on the amendment; the people who decide MPD's future should not be unelected decision-makers, but Minneapolis voters. I believe we need to reenvision policing entirely and put it under the umbrella of peace keeping, where more social organizations get funding to keep peace than the police department. This amendment is one step forward in that future.

Ward 13

7/24/2020 10:45:38 AM

It's not the job of the Commission to decide on the merits of the charter change- JUST whether Minneapolis residents deserve the chance to vote on a change. And they do.

I know it's tempting, in a moment of high public scrutiny, to feel like inaction is the safest bet. To feel like it's smarter to make this a long, drawn-out conversation on the merits of defunding the police.

Be clear: we're going to have that long, drawn-out conversation but it's not appropriate for the Commission to lead it. Community needs to lead it. Black folks need to lead it. And Commissioners need to do their jobs: allow for that free conversation by stepping aside and letting us vote on the Charter.

You have the chance to create an open pathway towards justice for our city. Allow us to vote in November!

Ward 2

7/24/2020 11:05:18 AM

The people of Minneapolis need the opportunity to determine the future of our city via democratic process. We need this issue added to the ballot this November. Minneapolis can be a national leader in determining the future of public safety. It does not have to look like a traditional police force, which is a relatively new development in history. The inequality and violence that we face can only be solved by addressing root causes, and creating a Department of Community Safety would be an important step in this direction. Police are just a bandaid solution which create additional violence and destabilize our communities. Please make the morally responsible choice and allow voters to have a say in where our taxes go and how our city is run.

Ward 10

7/24/2020 11:05:26 AM

Hello,

I support the council's amendment. I know some groups have been talking about community control of the police. However, that is just policing by a different name. We need to shift more resources into violence prevention, not just those who show up after harm has already happened. The council's amendment allows significant flexibility to do that.

Please watch this short video on why community control of the police is a bad idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qYuBy4OoVM

Ward 4

7/24/2020 11:07:40 AM

I don't reside in Minneapolis

Attachment:

xxxxxx x. xxxxxxx Attorney at Law

xxxxx – xxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx,xx

July 24, 2020

The Honorable Members, Minneapolis Charter Commission City Hall - Room 304 350 South Fifth Street Minneapolis, MN 55415

Re: Proposed Charter Amendment to Abolish the Minneapolis Police Department

Dear Chair Clegg and Commissioners:

I represent the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis which has asked me to write to you regarding the proposed amendment to the City Charter now before you relating to the Minneapolis Police Department.

As you are no doubt aware, certain current and former elected officials have vilified and scapegoated both the Federation and the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City and the Federation as the impediments to reform. 1 The proposal to abolish the Minneapolis Police Department is an emotional and misguided response based primarily upon this false narrative.

The Federation unequivocally acknowledges that the public rightly expects that we re-examine the MPD’s hiring practices, training, and supervision with the common goal that all officers approach all people with respect and use force only when necessary and in a manner consistent with the law. To achieve this goal, however, people who are serious about improving the manner in which the City of Minneapolis protects the public must first accept certain fundamental truths.

First, we must acknowledge that one of the most basic purposes of government at any level is to protect the public – sometimes from circumstances beyond our control such as a pandemic – but more often from each other. To protect us from one another, governments throughout history have enacted laws to establish the boundaries of human conduct.

Second, no matter how desperately we may seek to live in a utopian community where all people always treat each other with love, dignity, and respect, such visions are dangerously naïve. The

1 I have represented the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis for over 30 years and am keenly aware of countless initiatives to improve the professionalism and accountability of MPD officers and to improve their relationship with the community on which the Federation has collaborated with the Administration and even many proposed by the Federation. Thus, it is extremely disheartening to hear the lie repeated ad nauseum that the Federation is responsible for the situation we find ourselves in today. If you would like specific examples of the Federation’s work as an agent of change, please contact me.

Minneapolis Charter Commission July 24, 2020 Page 2 painful reality is that we will always have people among us who will act outside the boundaries of the law whether intentionally, by mistake, or by their inability to control their actions.

Third, unless the laws of a society are enforced, they fail to serve their intended purpose.

Fourth, to enforce society’s laws, we must employ people to be engaged in the task of “law enforcement.”

Fifth, it is simply a matter of our very nature as humans that we will make mistakes and often will seek to avoid being held accountable for those mistakes. Thus, when a person has violated society’s laws, it is common for the person to not want to be ticketed, restrained, or arrested. Therein lies an irreconcilable source of potential conflict between the individual citizen and the community’s law enforcers.

Sixth, another immutable truth is that, like the people with whom they interact, police officers are also imperfect human beings. This means that from time to time police officers will also make mistakes. We can and should strive to minimize both their frequency and severity. However, to hope that no law enforcement officer will ever act inappropriately is just as unrealistic as to wish that we did not need law enforcement officers.

Seventh, in the same way that the unlawful actions of one member of a community does not impute guilt upon all members that community, the inappropriate or even unlawful actions of one police officer (or even a small group of them) does not make every police officer or the department that employs them bad.

Finally, perception is not reality and the perception of law enforcement is skewed by how the media covers it. For example, if the news media only reports inappropriate actions by police officers (while ignoring the vast majority of interactions that are professional and appropriate) and then only those inappropriate actions directed at one particular subset of the community (while ignoring similar actions relative to other subsets of the community), such editorial decisions will leave the lasting perception that: 1) police officers act inappropriately more often than not; and 2) their inappropriate actions are targeted against a single subset of the community. However, if considered objectively, a person would appreciate that what gets reported does not reflect reality because it lacks the context of all of the contacts between the Minneapolis police and the citizenry that are necessary, courteous, helpful, and often heroic.

This brings us to the proposed Charter amendment. In considering this proposal, it is necessary to be mindful that public policy should be established based on facts, not perceptions or emotions.

Although it existed before 1920, the Minneapolis Police Department was established as a Charter Department exactly 100 years ago when the Minneapolis City Charter of 1920 was adopted. The MPD, as an institution of that tenure and one that is so integral to the City’s responsibility to protect public safety, should not be eliminated from the Charter in the expedited manner the City Council is requesting that you employ. Rather, the necessary time should be taken to thoroughly gather and analyze the facts necessary to fully understand the scope of the problems and the specific proposals for addressing those problems before such a radical measure is even considered by the voters. Minneapolis Charter Commission July 24, 2020 Page 3

We all agree that George Floyd should not have died. We all agree that no officer should use more force than is necessary to effectuate their lawful duties. We all agree that all aspects of law enforcement should be practiced based on a person’s conduct and never on the color of their skin. That said, no fair- minded person believes that every Minneapolis police officer: would have done to George Floyd what Derek Chauvin did; routinely uses excessive force; or engages in racially biased policing. To anyone who suggests any one of these are true, they should be challenged to produce evidence to support their beliefs.

The relationship between the community and their police officers has been strained for years. I recently had occasion to look through my old files to find a certain document and, in the process, came across a letter I had “ghost-written” for then Federation President John Delmonico to then Mayor Rybak and the Council members of that time addressing the “police reform de jour” (which was yet another redesign of the Civilian Review Authority). The date of that letter was May, 2002 – more than eighteen years ago. I was shocked to re-read that document and realize that one could simply change the date, the names, and the “reform agenda” and then resend it today. I enclose a copy of that document, Appendix A, for your consideration.

Having listened to the public hearings on the proposed Charter Amendment I am aware of the pressure being put on each of you from many in the community whose only real argument in favor of the amendment is that “democracy requires that they be allowed to vote.” This argument, however, whether intentionally or not, ignores the role of the Charter Commission in our democracy as establish by Minnesota’s Constitution and Statutes.2 Notwithstanding the misguided notion of “democracy” held by some of these people, the voters of Minneapolis elected to be a home rule charter city, which means they consented to the form of municipal government which requires that Charter Amendments proposed by the City Council (such as the one at issue here) be reviewed and studied by the Charter Commission.

Minn. Stat. § 410.12, Subd 5. specifically provides in relevant part that:

Within 60 days thereafter, the charter commission shall review the proposed amendment but before the expiration of such period the commission may extend the time for review for an additional 90 days by filing with the city clerk its resolution determining that an additional time for review is needed. After reviewing the proposed amendment, the charter commission shall approve or reject the proposed amendment or suggest a substitute amendment. (emphasis added)

Thus, the Legislature has determined that the Charter Commission has two clear functions:

1. It must review the amendment; and

2. It must approve or reject the amendment.

2 Minn. Const. Art. XII, Sec. 5; Minn. Stat. § 410.12.

Minneapolis Charter Commission July 24, 2020 Page 4

By requiring that a charter commission review and then approve or reject an amendment proposed by a city council, the Legislature clearly intended that the “democratic process” was not that the Charter Commission be obligated to place an amendment on the ballot merely because the Council proposed it and some people expressed their desire to vote on it. Rather, the Charter Commission is required to study the proposed amendment, determine whether or not it is a good idea and then report its decision back to the Council. If the Charter Commission were to merely return the proposed amendment back to the Council so that “the people can vote” without taking the necessary time to study the amendment and/or to consider its merits, it would constitute an abrogation of the Charter Commission’s role and responsibility within the framework of municipal governance established by our Constitution.

Moreover, no amendment to the Charter is necessary to achieve many of the “reforms” the proponents of the amendment have articulated. Some of you have noted this fact during the Commission’s recent meetings. For example, the current language of the Charter does not preclude the Police Department or another department (including a newly created department) from designating people from other professional disciplines to respond to certain types of calls. While the concept creates many areas of concern, such as how a 911 dispatcher would know who to send and/or the safety of the non-police professional, the Federation certainly supports these types of proposals. However, as Chief Arradondo and Mayor Frey both testified before you, relieving police from being the first responder to certain types of calls would not reduce their workload enough to justify reducing the size of the Department’s sworn personnel below the minimum staffing level currently provided in the Charter.

As you certainly know, the proposed amendment is an even more radical effort to exert City Council control over the Police Department than the charter amendment proposed by the same Council in 2018. Since the Commission determined that it needed the additional time authorized by Minn. Stat. § 410.12, Subd 5, cited above, to review the 2018 proposed amendment (before ultimately rejecting the proposal as unwise); it is inconceivable that the Commission would determine that the present proposed amendment (which would eliminate the police department with no clear provision as to what would replace it or how such replacement would meet the City’s obligation to ensure the public’s safety) requires less review and/or consideration than the 2018 proposed amendment.

Given its serious failure to develop and articulate what would replace the current police department if abolished, or to even explain why the amendment is necessary to implement these unknown alternatives, it is clear that the City Council acted more out of political expediency than good governance and, thus, is an even more compelling reason that the Charter Commission should do what the Council most obviously did NOT do – fully study, consider, and vet the impact of the proposal. Moreover, the request by the City Council that the Commission not even take the full 60day initial review period is even further evidence of the Council’s dereliction of duty. The Charter Commission must not be goaded into complicity in this scheme by also ignoring its Constitutional and Statutory duties to act as a check and balance against a reckless and impulsive City Council action.

Therefore, the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, which includes many officers who live in the City, respectfully requests that you give the same consideration to the present proposed amendment that you gave to the 2018 proposed amendment – meaning that you take the full time

Minneapolis Charter Commission July 24, 2020 Page 5 allowed by law to study the proposal and, after careful consideration, reject it. Rest assured, it will not be your fault that this does not wind up on the ballot in 2020. If the Council wanted to ensure its placement on the ballot for this November, it could have given a proposed amendment to you earlier so that you could meet your legal obligations for due diligence while still completing your work in time for consideration by the voters in 2020. It did not do so and thus the Council must be held responsible for the timing of its proposal and the consequences resulting therefrom.

Contrary to the assertions of those who clearly are either unable or unwilling to distinguish between the acts of a few from the actions of the many, there is no objective evidence that the MPD is “broken beyond repair.” However, as the Federation pointed out in 2002 and now again 18 years later, the repetition of this mantra neither makes it true nor serves the public interest. Rather, by continuing to demonize the law enforcement professionals that are necessary in any society, those that do so make it more difficult to achieve the goal of improving the community’s perception of its police. Moreover, such demonization is detrimental to public safety as it makes it far more difficult for the MPD to attract and retain good people to serve in its ranks.

In closing, given the likelihood that the contents of this letter will be manipulated by the antiFederation crowd, it is important to clearly state that this letter is not written in an effort to block meaningful structural changes that will improve the MPD’s quality of service to the public, the professionalism and accountability of its officers, or the relationship between police officers and those they serve. Rather, as it has always done, the Federation supports appropriate and wellreasoned reform measures and welcomes the opportunity to work with all stakeholders to develop and implement such measures. However, the proposed Charter Amendment is neither appropriate nor well-reasoned.

The Federation respects the difficult task before you which requires you to be the voice of reason in an atmosphere of chaos. However, we trust that you will meet your obligations and act with the conviction of your beliefs as to what is in the best interests of this great City, its citizens and its employees.

Very truly yours,

Xxxxxx xxxxxxx

TO BE PREPARED AND SENT ON FEDERATION LETTERHEAD

May 7, 2002

Dear Mayor Rybak and Members of the City Council:

As you know, two different committees have been convened to examine the Civilian Review Authority and the Minneapolis Police Department’s policies on the use of force by officers. The common theme that has emerged from these initiatives is the desire of City leaders to improve community-police relations. The Federation was asked to participate in these efforts and we appreciate this opportunity. We too are committed to increasing the level of respect and trust between police officers and the citizens they serve. I am writing, however, because I am deeply concerned about the present image of the Minneapolis police officers and by the extent to which you as our elected leaders have contributed to this image.

Minneapolis police officers have become accustomed to being attacked by the same few people who claim to represent some segment of our community. Cops accept this as an occupational hazard, since the personal agendas and biases of these people are well-established. However, it is disheartening to police officers when you give these agitators and malcontents an official forum to spew their venom against the police. It is even more demoralizing when members of the Minneapolis City Council actually join in making wild accusations and repeating bizarre anecdotes about the mistreatment of citizens by Minneapolis police officers. In just the last few weeks, members of the City Council have called the police officers you employ “thumpers” and “an occupation force;” have publicly stated that the police department includes officers who routinely engage in acts of illegal brutality and racial profiling that are known but yet go unpunished; and that the police cannot be trusted to investigate themselves or be truthful during an investigation. Such public pronouncements from our elected leaders without evidence or specificity causes immeasurable damage to the public’s image of every police officer, the Department and even the City of Minneapolis. Thus, not only are such statements unfair, they are also irresponsible.

While not all of you have made these statements, each of you must examine the extent to which you have failed to adequately require that the proponents of these claims, whether or not elected to office, articulate the specific facts and evidence about the purported incidents. The stories of beatings and acts of racism by Minneapolis police officers have been repeated so often and by so many people without any questions or protests that it seems to have become accepted by many as true that: 1) there is a cadre of thumpers roaming the streets of Minneapolis in blue shirts and badges routinely perpetrating acts of physical violence against peaceful citizens; and 2) the Police Administration knows who these rogue officers are, but refuses to rein them in.

For a time in the early 1950’s it was not considered politically correct to challenge those making wild, unsubstantiated allegations that the State Department and the Army were harboring known communists. Today, apparently, it is not politically correct to ask for evidence from those alleging that the Minneapolis Police Department is harboring thugs and racists.

APPENDIX A

Mayor Rybak and City Council Page 2

The Federation would be the first to acknowledge that thugs and racists should not be cops in Minneapolis, or anywhere else for that matter, and that the public is justified in expecting that thugs and racists will be purged from the Department. However, civil service rules and state laws allow an accused police officer due process and, therefore, an officer cannot be fired until there are actual findings of misconduct. Further, it cannot be disputed that over the last several years, on average only one officer per year has been fired for using excessive force. When the public perception of police officers is allowed to be formulated with no evidentiary standards, or even with standards lower than the standards for imposing discipline, it becomes impossible for the public to be satisfied that the Department is taking the corrective action the public perceives to be necessary.

Thus, for people who have succumbed to “Cop McCarthyism” and who now believe that there are many “bad apples” within the Department, there is only one logical conclusion that can be reached from the small number of terminations – that the Department cannot or will not weed the “bad apples” out of the barrel. It follows then that, among these people, the image of the Department can never improve and can only continue to deteriorate unless and until there is a very massive and very public purging of the thugs and racists from the Department. That singular satisfactory outcome is unlikely to occur unless there truly is a hoard of wild cops out there. However, we are aware of no legitimate evidence to suggest that this is true. Therefore, we must accept that no amount of tinkering with the Civilian Review Authority, the use of force policies or the occupant of the Chief’s office will make any meaningful difference in the public’s view of the police department.

Clearly, things must change. Cop McCarthyism cannot continue because it threatens the social fabric of our City. An atmosphere in which police are viewed with contempt is personally dangerous to the officers on the street and promotes a culture of lawlessness which in turn is dangerous to the public. It is true that respect must be earned. But, police officers cannot be asked to assume the sole responsibility for repairing the relationship between them and the community.

The Federation and the officers we represent will do our part. The Federation is committed to maintaining the highest degree of integrity and professionalism among Minneapolis police officers. We will continue to work with the Police Administration so that in cases when an officer violates policies or the law, he/she is held accountable and disciplined appropriately. We will continue to participate in the CRA Redesign Committee despite the clear anti-police bias of many of the committee members and despite the attacks on our integrity that some committee members have been allowed to make without impunity during the meetings. Likewise, we welcome the opportunity to participate in the Use of Force Committee. As police officers, we have not and will not oppose public scrutiny of our conduct so long as such examinations are fair and unbiased. We accept that it is fair for citizens to demand that police officers treat them with respect. However, it is any less fair for cops to ask that they be treated with respect by their elected leaders and the citizens we all serve?

Mayor Rybak and City Council Page 3

On behalf of all Minneapolis police officers, I am asking that that you also do your part to help improve the image of police officers by committing to do the following:

 Cease to engage in, to allow or to condone cop-bashing. Appropriately admonish those who do engage in cop-bashing. (Please note that we are not seeking to stifle legitimate complaints.)

 Adopt the mind-set for yourself, and when appropriate remind the public, that a police officer, like any other American, is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

 When you hear someone make allegations of police misconduct, especially if it is during a public meeting, ask the obvious and important questions:

 Who was the officer, or what information can they provide about the officer that will help identify him/her?  What specifically did the officer do?  What initiated the contact between the officer and the alleged victim?  Where and when did the incident occur?  Were there any witnesses?  Was the alleged victim arrested or ticketed?  Did the alleged victim seek medical treatment?  Did the alleged victim report the officer’s conduct to anyone? o If the incident was not reported, did you direct the alleged victim to file a report with:  The CRA?  The Internal Affairs Unit?  The Precinct Commander?  The Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights?  The Minnesota Department of Human Rights?  The EEOC?  The City or County Attorney’s Office?  The FBI?  An attorney? o If the incident was reported, to whom was it reported? Was the incident investigated and what was the outcome of the investigation?

 If the answers you receive to any of these questions raise concerns in your mind as to the legitimacy or accuracy of the story, advise the person that the disciplinary actions against police officers require sufficient evidence and that the policy of the City Council is that it will not provide a forum for complaints that do not meet some minimum threshold of evidence. If this occurs during a public hearing, do not allow the complainant to proceed with the story.

Mayor Rybak and City Council Page 4

 If you believe that the Police Administration does not hold officers accountable, please provide me and/or Chief Olson with the name of even one officer who within the last 10 years was found to have committed serious misconduct and yet was not disciplined by the Department. If you can’t come up with a name, re-evaluate your position. If you hear others make the same claim about a lack of accountability, pose the same challenge to them.

 When forming citizen advisory groups to review police conduct, policies and procedures, include some representatives of “the community of citizens interested in good government with no axe to grind against the police” – we don’t even ask that such people be pro-police – just that they be fair and unbiased.

 Stop providing a forum to persons who have demonstrated an inability or unwillingness to control or correct an anti-police bias. Persons with such attitudes would not be eligible to sit on a jury in litigation involving a police officer. Similarly, the City should not provide them with a public forum to judge officers or allow them to formulate policies for the City of Minneapolis.

The Federation cannot be the only entity challenging claims of misconduct as it leaves us open to the criticism that the Federation is simply trying to “cover up” for its members. Officers need the support of their Administration, City Council Members and Mayor; and this support must include more than just lip-service. It must include demanding proof of guilt before public admonishments are made or allowed. If there is a legitimate problem within the Department, there should be no difficulty in getting the facts. From these facts we can all start to form a specific solution to real problems rather than chasing elusive solutions to perceived problems. If, however, there is no basis to support the allegations made, then our leaders owe it to the officers to stand up and say so publicly.

Finally, the members of community must also bear some responsibility for improving their relationship with the police. Police officers, like doctors and lawyers and other professionals, are specially trained. Use of force is not just something officers learn on the streets – the use of force is a highly-trained skill authorized and governed by state law. While the Federation and its members have been, and will continue to be, more than happy to meet with community leaders and neighborhood organizations to listen to their concerns and suggestions; we ask that you request that these folks sit down with the police and learn about their job, go on a ride-along or attend the Citizen Academy.

The Federation has considered creating a public seminar for citizens and the media on: the use of force; avenues to report allegations of misconduct; and disciplinary procedures for Minneapolis police officers. We believe that educating the public and the media on such matters may help citizens formulate opinions based on accurate information rather than on misinformation. We ask for your support in these efforts.

Mayor Rybak and City Council Page 5

After the attack on our country on September 11, 2001, there was an outpouring of public support for police officers across the nation. Those sentiments seem to have completely evaporated in Minneapolis. It would be truly sad if we lived in a community where the only time it was considered popular or necessary to show support for the police is when they die.

We look forward to continuing to work with all of you to forge a better relationship with you and our citizens and to strengthen our City. If you cannot undertake the actions requested of you in this letter, please contact me so that we can sit down and discuss what you are able and willing to do to improve the relationship between police officers and the community.

Sincerely,

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

cc: Chief Robert K. Olson

7/24/2020 11:26:15 AM

I support changing the charter to disband the Minneapolis Police Department and create a new department that will be created with community input. As a south Minneapolis resident, I believe that our community deserves better. Police officers who murder citizens cannot be authorized to patrol our streets any longer.

Ward 11

7/24/2020 11:28:01 AM

We need the charter amended to better protect our city. The majority of people would be better served by social workers and other social services funding than by militarized police.

Ward 5

7/24/2020 11:33:55 AM

I ask the Minneapolis City Council to accept the proposed amendment to the Minneapolis City Charter. As a social worker in the domestic violence field for the past 4 years I have seen the harm law enforcement has had on victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence. I work now with youth experiencing homelessness and with experience with violence and have been working outside of the law enforcement system to find safety, because law enforcement has failed them time and time again. So many communities have not felt safe with law enforcement, and have therefore been finding safety in community and alternative options. By amending the charter to eliminate law enforcement as we know it and replace it with a community centered approach, those who I have been working with will have better access to actual safety options. I look forward to the day when the clients I work with are able to move through the community without fear of being stopped by law enforcement or having family members harmed by law enforcement. We have a long way to go in order to create safety in our community, and I believe this amendment is a great start.

Ward 3 7/24/2020 11:37:20 AM

I want to strongly urge that the amendment proposed by city council be referred to voters in November. Realizing that most people agree that the Minneapolis police department needs reform, I do not trust the current mayor and chief of police to make significant change.

I attended city council budget meetings in both 2016 and 2018 and spoke during public comment times at each. First of all, it is significant that neither Mayor Hodges nor Mayor Frey were in attendance. Considering the limited times that Minneapolis residents are allowed to speak at these budget meetings, the mayors should of course be there! In both 2016 and 2018, many people representing representing diverse groups in the community spoke about the need for the budget to increase community services in areas of preventing violence, youth , mental health, housing , addiction-- and decrease the large policing budget.

There were no significant changes in the budget to address these major problems. Also Chief Arrodando has had two years to create change in policing... and yet another Black man killed.

It is time to start over-- the MPD is not working for the city.

Ward 8

7/24/2020 11:45:01 AM

I demand the Charter Commission put the charter amendment on the ballot in November.

Ward 4

7/24/2020 11:48:27 AM

I urge you to create a new community safety and violence prevention department.

Ward 1

7/24/2020 11:51:15 AM

I am writing as a citizen invested in the health, wellness, and public safety of my entire community. I ask that you allow the citizens to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. I ask that the charter commission please does their absolute best to review the proposed amendment and submit any recommendations they would have for substitutions before the August 21 ballot deadline. This is important so it can be on the November ballot; there is momentum in this city and we are having a "moment"- allow it to happen!

Ward 8

7/24/2020 12:13:07 PM

I believe the City of Minneapolis and residents can do a better job at taking care of ourselves and our neighbors than we have been. People who live in fear of the MPD deserve access to services that bring safety, support, resources, nourishment, care and compassion. We need services that provide care, humanity and dignity to the residents of the neighborhoods. We need people from the neighborhoods taking care of and looking out for one another. We need in-community help from people who know and understand one another.

150 years of doing things the wrong way cannot be solved with trainings. It is time to dismantle this system. If we know it is broken, if we know it is hurting people, if we know it is causing harm to our communities, why do we continue to fund it? It is time to honor ourselves as sacred human beings and do better for ourselves, our neighbors and our future generations.

Ward 9

7/24/2020 12:31:10 PM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

The commission's job is to determine if the proposal is appropriate to the charter - not to govern and not to block a democratic process that empowers the community.

The police cannot be reformed. Cutting out the minimum number of police is not enough, we need to get rid of MPD as a required department if we’re ever going to move away from violent policing.

Ward 6

7/24/2020 12:33:18 PM

I am a resident of Ward 9, and I believe that the city should be able to vote this fall on the City Council's proposal charter amendment.

Ward 9

7/24/2020 12:35:42 PM

Hello, I am a resident of St Paul who works in Minneapolis. I believe that it should be up to voters what happens with the MPD. Therefore, I support voters being able to vote on the police department being removed from the charter and the creation of a new community safety department.

Thank you,

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/24/2020 12:43:38 PM

To the members of the Charter Commission:

I write you today to request you do not act to amend the Charter, either in the format proposed by the City Council or the Charter Commission's own draft. What is needed right now, as so well stated by Andrew Luger in his comments of July 22 (PDF attached) is seizing the moment when there is goodwill, moral focus and determination on all sides. The amendment is a short-term "solution" that will distract from the need for 21st Century policing and at the same time polarize the citizens of Minneapolis.

Please consider the unintended consequences and allow the Charter to stand and the process to work.

Thank you.

Attachment:

This story from StarTribune.com has been sent to you by w. *Please note, the sender's identity has not been verified. The full story, with any associated images and links can be viewed here.

Xxxxxx xxxxx: Reckless charter change is unnecessary By xxxxxxx xxxxx July 22, 2020 — 5:10pm She was 12 years old, the victim of a broken home. She heard about a man who could make her life better. Instead, he gave her drugs and alcohol, brutalized her and sold her to men for money. Officers from different departments worked night and day to rescue her from her trafficker. While I served as U.S. Attorney, my office prosecuted him and she was the central witness. After she stood up to her trafficker, she left the witness stand and hugged those who had saved her. I became a prosecutor in 1989, seeking justice on behalf of the community and victims of crime like that young girl. I worked with officers who prevented the bombing of a mosque, talked kids out of gangs and stopped heroin trafficking on the streets of Minneapolis. I have hundreds, if not thousands, of stories that begin with tragedy and end with the heroic efforts of law enforcement. I have seen the best our police can do. But I have also seen the worst. I investigated the Metro Gang Strike Force, and discovered an agency rife with corruption and a culture that trampled on civil rights. I have investigated heartbreaking officer-involved shootings of unarmed African American men, spending hours with their families and friends. And then, like all of us, I watched the brutal killing of George Floyd. Right before our eyes. The question before our city is what to do about it. In the weeks since George Floyd’s death, civil rights leaders, protesters, business leaders, police officers and local and national policing experts have been saying the same thing: We need transformational change in the Minneapolis Police Department, change that takes systemic racism head- on, change that goes to the very culture of the department. For the most part, they also agree that we need a Police Department. A department that keeps us and our neighbors safe from vicious hate crimes, traffickers and gun violence. But also a department that serves all of us with dignity and respect for human life. A department that reimagines what policing is in Minneapolis going forward; a department that reflects our progressive values of inclusion and equality. We can have that department. First, given the broad consensus that now exists, we can take this on together as a community. Second, we are not alone. Communities around the U.S. have made great strides before us. And the people who have accomplished this

the U.S. have made great strides before us. And the people who have accomplished this progress, from Camden, N.J., to Eugene, Ore., are ready to help. But we face a stark choice: Act on our unity now, or engage in a divisive battle over a ballot initiative that questions whether we need police at all, an initiative that will lead to bitterness and division. Our City Council has pledged to do away with the police department. In order to do so, they need to pass a referendum removing the requirement that Minneapolis have a department. The Minneapolis Charter Commission should reject this gambit. It is ill- timed during a pandemic and national election, and it will divert us from the tough work we should focus on right now. On these pages, the council has claimed that we cannot have systemic change without removing the charter provision that requires a Police Department; one overseen by the mayor (“Five City Council members: Our case for changing the charter,” July 16.) But the support for this startling conclusion is lacking. To the contrary: All of us, the council included, want to find ways to engage mental health professionals and others to respond to 911 calls. Nothing in the charter prevents us from doing this. All of us, the council included, want to confront systemic racism and a culture that has allowed so many unarmed African American men to die at the hands of the police. We can accomplish this from the top down and the bottom up now without changing one word of the charter. Indeed, through tragedy and suffering, we now have something few cities have ever seen — a consensus. If you listen, you will hear civil rights leaders, community members, business leaders and, yes, police officers say the same thing: They respect our chief, and want to make systemic change together. After days of protest, anger and frustration at the brutal killing of George Floyd, Minneapolis Police officers wrote a heartfelt letter telling the community: We are with you. Joining the chorus for change, the officers ended their letter with “We are with you moving forward. We want to work with you and for you to regain your trust.” Imagine: Officers, civil rights leaders and activists and business leaders who all want the same thing while preserving the existence of the police department. And a City Council that says no. This is a time to say yes, and to get to work. We should seize on this opportunity to bring about transformational change, building on the consensus that arose out of the tragic death of George Floyd. And we can do it now, without the distraction of a referendum that will needlessly divide us. The Charter Commission should reject the distraction of the proposed referendum. Let’s build on our unprecedented consensus now, and get the police department we want and deserve.

Xxxxxxx xxxxx is a Minneapolis attorney and former U.S. attorney for Minnesota.

Ward 7

7/24/2020 12:50:13 PM

I want the city council to keep their promise they made in powderhorn park and start defunding the police. In that same park several people experiencing homelessness were forcibly removed and arrested. Where is a space for them? If they city is removing these people where would they like them to be.

The City Council needs to defund the police and reallocate the money to solve social issues like homelessness, fund education, public health and so much more.

The city council needs to hold their promise and make change in this city.

The city council needs to make sure the future of police is up to the elected officials of Minneapolis not unelected decision makers.

Ward 5

7/24/2020 12:53:56 PM

I do NOT support removing the funding requirement included in the current city charter.

Public Safety should not be dependent on the political whims of the city council, especially the current council which seems intent on destroying our city. The simple fact that our city council, and now the charter commission, are serious about further defunding the police is clear evidence they are not competent to serve in their positions.

Are you even paying attention? Crime is increasing significantly across the city and residents are getting fed up. Robberies, assaults, burglaries, vandalism, theft - these are becoming a normalized part of living here. Do you really think that the people and businesses who pay the steep taxes will stay here under those conditions?

Stop foolishly catering to the small group of vocal activists that do not represent the more moderate majority. I only hope that in the next election we find some qualified leaders.

Ward 13

7/24/2020 1:15:59 PM

I would prefer that the City Council draw up scenarios for what might replace the police department prior to putting the Charter Commission changes to the voters, and that those scenarios be informed by the community. Chief Rondo is one of the best leaders this city has right now and creating a public safety body that eliminates him as from leadership at this crucial time is misguided. If we all agree that investing in crisis response teams, more mental health and trauma healing and supportive housing is key to community safety, why are we not yet prioritizing these investments? I only have to look at US Bank Stadium to know there is no shortage of resources, only mistaken priorities. The Council might benefit from some of the suggestions in this article: https://medium.com/@antonio.oftelie/marching-forward- a-vision-for-transformation-in-american-policing-and-public-safety-a36173ea3e4f.

Ward 9

7/24/2020 1:20:31 PM

As a small business owner, employing 18 people, I am appalled by the notion to "defund the police" and to drop the police department from the charter. While reforms are definitely needed, a police department is necessary for public safety. Furthermore, to have a non-professional without ant ties to police training be the head of the "Community Safety and Violence Prevention Department" is absurd but certainly goes along with the knee jerk form of public policy that the city council constantly displays. Reaction without solutions or fact based plans leads to dismal failure. This city council requires me to think about if I should keep my business located in Minneapolis.

Ward 3

7/24/2020 1:27:35 PM

As the citizens that MPD is sworn to serve and protect, and whom MPD has frequently failed, the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. I urge you to allow citizens to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Reforms have been attempted and failed, as city officials have been overpowered by the police union. It's time to let the citizens of Minneapolis guide the way.

Ward 9 7/24/2020 1:38:56 PM

I think removing the police from the City Charter is a small but very important step towards a better future for everyone. I sincerely thank everyone who has been working to educate people and make this happen.

Ward 7

7/24/2020 1:40:09 PM

I support the Charter amendment to create a Community Safety & Violence Prevention department being included on the november ballot. Citizens should be allowed to participate in determining what constitutes safety in our neighborhoods, and how to best allocate funds to do so.

Ward 8

7/24/2020 1:43:11 PM

Dear Charter Commissioners,

The future of the MPD should be up to the VOTERS of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers as yourselves. LET US VOTE.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter – a charter that was created with deep roots tied to white supremacy, and to create a new Department of Community Safety. We, residents of Minneapolis, won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

We envision a safe Minneapolis, one that is centered in genuine justice and community wellbeing for every Minneapolis resident. The only way to do begin to live into this vision is to remove the MPD from the charter --- and let us vote.

Sincerely,

Ward 10

7/24/2020 1:58:27 PM

Removing the police department from the city charter is DANGEROUS, not only from a public safety standpoint but also from a civic and legal authority standpoint. Don't amend the city charter to remove the police department, whose role is to protect and serve. The focus should be on reforming the police department and not politicizing it by having a police chief report to 14 elected officials.

Ward 13

7/24/2020 2:06:48 PM

I write to reiterate my support for the June 26 amendment proposed by every member of the Minneapolis City Council and to ask the commission to withdraw its July 20 proposal. Every member of the elected City Council proposed the June 26 amendment. In contrast, every one of the Charter Commissioners is appointed by a judge, not responsive to the people. The Commission's role is to refine proposed amendments as they come, not wholesale cut policy initiatives from the proposals. Because there is no principled reason for the Commission to insert its own policy perspective into this amendment process, I ask that the Commission respect its Minn. Stat. 410.05 role and withdraw its July 20 proposal.

Ward 1

7/24/2020 2:30:55 PM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. I want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. As a community, we cannot settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Officers working in Minneapolis need to be from Minneapolis, and ideally from within the precinct they serve.

Ward 5

7/24/2020 2:31:47 PM

In the 42+ years that I have lived, worked, raised a family, and owned property in Uptown, it has NEVER felt more dangerous than it does now. I fear for my family, my tenants, and my property on a daily basis.

I abhor police brutality, and I support much needed changes to the current police department. I also support many of the concepts and intentions being presented, but I am STRONGLY OPPOSED to rushing through the current charter amendments. I feel they are vague, they lack a plan, and they are doing nothing to help the currently increasing violence and crime in our neighborhoods.

I believe that the current language of "abolishing and defunding the police" is poorly chosen at best, if not outright political pandering and a power struggle for control between the city council and the mayor. In my view, it only serves to discourage the good police that I know exist, as well as embolden and encourage criminals, gangs, and trouble makers... the evidence of which is visible daily. This is certainly not helping our current situation of trying to navigate and survive an unprecedented pandemic, economic hardship, and civil unrest.

I request that charter amendments either wait until there is a better concrete plan in place, or alternatively, rebrand the concepts with language that are more representative of actual intentions and that instill confidence rather than fear in those of us who might otherwise support these initiatives.

Give us something to believe things are going to get better and not worse, as the daily shootings, car jackings, purse snatchings, and beatings increase daily. Do that, and I trust you will have the support of many of us who truly love our city but fear the direction it is rapidly heading.

Ward 10

7/24/2020 2:42:45 PM

As a Minneapolis resident, I do not want the the decision on amendment to decide the future of the Minneapolis Police to fall on a committee of unelected people. Please hold a public vote on this decision.

Ward 3 7/24/2020 2:43:35 PM

Please forgive me that I am just a citizen of Minneapolis and don't understand all the complexities of the city charter, your charter commission, and our city government in general. I just keep up with what I can and make sure to vote in November

My common sense tells me however that we (this country, this state, this city) strive to be a democracy and so we should make decisions for our city through the democratic process of voting.

My common sense does not provide any explanation as to why the Charter Commission would prevent this from happening in this situation.

I'm sure you have "your reasons". 200 years ago slaveholders had their reasons. They argued that being a slave was good for black people, they needed to be "cared for" by well-meaning rich white people. Just 60 years ago, white people also had their reasons for why Jim Crow laws were better for black people. And now today, you all have your reasons for why we should not allow the citizens of Minneapolis to vote on how their city is protected in the future.

You have your reasons. You also are not people of color. And you probably don't live next to many if any. That's not a coincidence. Why does it seem all the white people live together in the "safest" parts of American cities? Hmm.

Do you want to be a part of the tradition of furthering equity for our minorities? That tradition involves the abolition of slavery, the abolition of Jim Crow, amendments allowing women and people of color to finally vote. And many more.

Or do you want to be a part of the tradition that came up with "their reasons" to stop this progression and keep things the way they are.

Your move chief.

Respectfully,

Ward 10 Resident

Ward 10

7/24/2020 2:48:41 PM

Ward 3

7/24/2020 2:52:08 PM

I am a homeowner in the Standish neighborhood with two children. I am ready to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. I want this on the ballot for voters to decide. Thank you.

Ward 12 7/24/2020 2:57:48 PM

I support the proposed changes to the charter, eliminating the minimum funding/personnel per resident

Ward 8

7/24/2020 3:17:59 PM

Greetings,

I am writing to request the opportunity for Minneapolis to vote on the charter amendment November 4th. In order to decide if and how we divest from the MPD, the people need to vote on these charter changes. Please allow us to do so!

Thank you and kind regards,

Minnehaha, Minneapolis

Ward 12

7/24/2020 3:25:38 PM

Our public safety system needs reform, including police reform --there is no doubt about that, as exemplified by the murder of George Floyd. But the narrative and actions around 'defunding the police' appear dangerous at best. The police have been disempowered (told to back off) and violent crime, sexual assault and drug trafficking have seen a significant surge. In a related experiment, the MPRB's decision to turn parks into homeless encampments helped fuel this surge in crime. The job or our civic leaders is to predict the outcomes of their decisions. If the MPRB did that, they were wildly off the mark in their prediction or they would not have made the decision they did. Is the city council predicting what will come of the decisions and messaging around 'defunding the police'? It appears that the police have been disempowered already, or their spirits broken. How does this serve the community as a whole? From my perspective, if you want to reform the police, start by nullifying its union and allowing the police department to remove problem officers from the force.

Ward 8

7/24/2020 3:34:39 PM

Ward 9

7/24/2020 3:38:43 PM

You are allowing and even agreeing with the city council to disband our police with no plan to replace.This action is only inciting more lawlessness in our community. If you allow the vote this year, we will lose more officers before november. We need more officers and more money to train them.

Ward 12 7/24/2020 3:39:17 PM

Let us vote!

Ward 1

7/24/2020 3:40:48 PM

Please let us for on this charter amendment!

Ward 1

7/24/2020 3:50:39 PM

I write in support of the City Council amendment.

To members of the Charter Commission - you are not elected officials, you do not represent our city demographically or geographically, and it is not your job to create policy.

Ward 10

7/24/2020 3:50:48 PM

Let Minneapolis vote to change the Charter in November.

7/24/2020 4:05:12 PM

I write to reiterate my support for the June 26 amendment proposed by every member of the Minneapolis City Council and to ask the Commission to withdraw its July 20 proposal. Every member of the elected City Council proposed the June 26 amendment. In contrast, every one of the Charter Commissioners is appointed by a judge, not responsive to the people. The Commission's role is to refine proposed amendments as they come, not wholesale cut policy initiatives from the proposals. Because there is no principled reason for the Commission to insert its own policy perspective into the amendment process, I ask that the Commission respect its Minn. Stat. 410.05 role and withdraw its July 20 proposal.

Ward 3

7/24/2020 4:09:49 PM

To whom it may concern,

I appreciate the need for this discussion and for change but do not want the City Council proposed amendment on the November ballot. There is way too much going on at the city, state, and federal level to give this topic the time and attention it needs to have a thoughtful vote. There is far too little information provided on what the new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department will be and rushing it through is not helpful. Lets take the time as a city to assess this real need when everyone is not also balancing the incredibly difficult impacts of COVID. In order to have real, meaningful change, we must provide the time for reflection and engagement from everyone.

If politics requires that some action is taken, then eliminate the minimum staffing requirement. That would allow some change and yet give time for a more in-depth discussion on how best to reorg/restructure/rename the 'Police Department' in a way that ensures people in MPLS are safe. Support for this change will not go away after November and many MPLS residents will appreciative the opportunity to learn more about how we can make things better in our city before they are asked to vote for it.

Kind regards,

Ward 7

7/24/2020 4:10:54 PM

I will submit additional input as I continue to learn more about alternative models to our toxic policing system.

For now, I suggest that 911 operators send out funded community responders who may effectively protect and serve residents' many and varied needs as they arrise, 24/7. Current police funding can be used to financially bolster those resources to create this 24/7 ability to respond appropriately to community needs. People dealing with domestic abuse need domestic violence specialists to help them figure out next steps toward resolutions they choose. People having mental health crises need help from mental health professionals. People trapped in sex trafficking need the expertise of people who understand the challenges and dangers of the life; professionals who can provide real help. Rape victims need sensitive, aware and skilled responders who do not re-victimize them. Many minor traffic concerns could be handled by mail, rather than community members having to risk dying at the hands of police because they tried to use a counterfit bill or because one of the lights on their car burned out. People reporting neighborhood nuisance and other issues would be better helped by mediators or social workers who can support community problem solving. I am heartbroken about the implication of policing continuing as we now know it. We cannot go on like this, with our police officers murdering our global majority and indigenous neighbors. We hired and pay our police. They are not serving our needs. Thus, we must fire them.

Ward 9

7/24/2020 4:20:25 PM

Attachment:

Comments from xxxxxxxxxxx of North Minneapolis

I have been a block leader on and off over the past 30+ years, and I am grateful for the police department. I am grateful that they came and investigated after a gang motivated shooting during a neighbor's graduation party. I am grateful that they removed a neighbor's brother when the situation at that house was getting out of hand. I, also, cannot tell you how many times over the years I wished that the police and the public had more tools to intervene and prevent crime beforehand. I believe that many crimes are the product of tens, or hundreds, of small steps where suitable intervention could reduce the chance of crime occurring. When my neighbor and I started the block club some 30 years ago, the neighbors were excited. We had gatherings to introduce everyone, we handed out information in how to safeguard homes, we had block parties that were so successful that the other neighbors kept them going when we couldn't. When everything was going well, we asked CCP/Safe what we could do proactively. Could we set up security cameras and sent in videos of crimes? No, the police needed to see the crime as it happened to make an arrest. Could we talk to troublesome neighbors? No, we weren't supposed to approach for our own safety. I felt like all we could do is barricade ourselves in our homes and stand watch. There is a saying that when your only tool is a hammer, all problems look like nails. While I truly want properly trained people handling the worst cases, it would be so much better if we didn't have to treat all difficult or peculiar cases like crimes. There have been many occasions when a social worker would have been very welcome. I live next door to a rental. On one occasion, a neighbor or two back, the neighbor's daughter's classmate had an issue with the neighbor's daughter. The classmate brought six of her closest friends with her to talk the matter over. When the daughter went outside to talk with them, the group started beating up on her. Her mom called 911, and went out to protect her daughter, her brother went out to protect her and got maced. The fighting didn't let up until neighbors came out of their houses and intervened. The police never did come, even though several other neighbors called 911 as well. They had much bigger problems elsewhere. A social worker would have been very welcome, to take names, contact the school, council the girls on better ways to resolve disagreements. We had a neighbor who was a hoarder. We were in touch with our council member, inspections, and occasionally the police if we felt it was needed. Occasionally social services did get involved, but a social worker would have been helpful, though perhaps more the rest of us than the neighbor in question. The house was finally torn down. I would like to think that if a social worker was involved, the property would have been maintained better and that neighbor would have kept their home. We have incidents of major arguments between neighbors that finally resulted in no contact orders. Social workers would have been very helpful in the lead up, perhaps preventing no contact orders. Some friends realized that a car parked on their block was actually a family that lost their home and had nowhere to go. Once that family knew that they had been discovered, they left. A social worker would have been a big help. There are many incidents of odd-looking people wandering the neighborhood. We hate to call 911 because they are just walking on the sidewalk, but it would be nice to have someone to call to approach them, see what their story is, in a friendly way. I have two last thoughts on this matter. The first is another nugget from my past, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." We have invested more and more into the police and jails/prisons for decades, and while our police are certainly worth it, all of that investment has not made our society safer. We need to try something new for both our society and our police. The second is something I saw on facebook, 'I know "Defund the Police" seems radical and scary, but "Dissolve Police Departments Then Rebuild Them as One Facet of Specialized Services So Police Aren't Called to Handle Problems that They Are Woefully Ill-equipped to Solve" isn't as easy to chant.' Please, create that spectrum of specialized services so that the police can focus on our safety and protection, so that they can be the heroes, and the rest of us can help keep them from having so many problems to address. Thank you.

Ward 4

7/24/2020 4:24:35 PM

I support the proposed amendment, I believe that the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. There has been ample proof in the last decade that reforms do not create change, if they did George Floyd would not have died.

Ward 8 7/24/2020 4:33:27 PM

To whom it may concern,

I appreciate the need for this discussion and for change but do not want the City Council proposed amendment on the November ballot. There is far too little information provided on what the new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department will be and rushing it through is not helpful. Voters need to be informed on what this means before putting it to a blanket vote. Discussions I have had with various individuals in our community are evidence that there is a significant gap in knowledge and understanding of this amendment. Meaningful change takes time and will require further discussion and inclusive public engagement.

Kind regards,

Ward 7

7/24/2020 4:44:21 PM

I support the Charter Commission's charter amendment, and strongly oppose the City Council's proposed charter amendment. If something must be on the November ballot, the Charter Commission's amendment is a sensible and meaningful first step. Otherwise, frankly, there is not enough to go on for any Minneapolis resident to make an informed vote based on the Council's proposed changes. There are two elements of great concern in the Council's amendment: the lack of clarity behind what the shift in process and power means to Minneapolis effectively making critical community safety decisions (including specifically what to do regarding policing issues); and the lack of a clear vision, process and accountability by the Council itself. Good intentions are not enough. The necessary leadership is not there. The accountability and responsibility of each city Council member to fully engage with Minneapolis residents and others in key leadership roles -- including the Mayor, the Police Chief - and how that will be carried out, is not reflected in the Council's proposal. It is important to keep this issue and conversation front and center, and very much alive. But Minneapolis residents deserve better, we deserve leadership and accountability from those elected , and true engagement to shape a vision that works for everyone in our city.

Ward 2

7/24/2020 4:51:51 PM

I am a lifelong resident of Minneapolis and a homeowner living in Kingfield.

Please approve the public safety amendment that was submitted to the Charter Committee by the City Council. The elected membership of the Council is uniquely situated to respond to the needs and the desires of the communities they represent. The mayor's office has shown itself unable to transform the police department under the current charter. Only althe Council's amendment will assure that all residents of Minneapolis will have a voice in future negotiations with the police union and in the future of public safety as a whole.

The Charter Committee's proposed amendment will not result in the transformative change our community is clamoring for. Please ask yourself who it is you are representing. Is it the business community? Is it the police? If the answer is anything but the people of minneapolis, you have the wrong answer.

Minneapolis needs a police department that answers to its citizens, through an elected council. Public safety must be transformed or more violence and unrest is surely in our future.

Thank You.

Ward 8

7/24/2020 4:58:29 PM

I am a lifelong resident of Minneapolis, and a white woman. I support the charter commission moving the amendment to a ballot vote in November 2020. Please give the citizens of Minneapolis the space to create something better than our current system of policing; we can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way. Thank you.

Ward 2

7/24/2020 5:14:54 PM

I do agree with the City Council's in that the police are relied on to handle situations where other professionals may be better suited to certain types of events/situations, I disagree with both the Council's and the Charter Commission's amendment to change the City Charter. If changes are to be made to the current structure or funding mechanism of the police department, I want a detailed plan of how much of the current funding of the Department will go from police officers to the other types of programs/services and professionals. It seems that the Council is not showing any wisdom or leadership and is just throwing things to see what may stick and Charter Commission isn't holding the Council responsible for producing a well thought-out plan that the citizens of Minneapolis can vote on either through a charter amendment or by reelecting or not reelecting their council member.

Ward 11

7/24/2020 5:35:43 PM

Change the charter and let the people's voices be heard!

Ward 9

7/24/2020 5:38:43 PM

Dear Charter Commission Members,

I reside in Apple Valley, MN. Even though I do not live in Minneapolis, I feel it only fair for the residents of Minneapolis to be able to vote on the future of MPD through the democratic process as is their right to do so and not unelected decision makers. Give the residents a chance to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the Charter and to form a new Department of Safety. Smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commissioner will not work. Let the people speak by their vote!!

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/24/2020 5:54:15 PM

Please remember that the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety.

We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Thank you,

Powderhorn/Bancroft resident

Ward 8

7/24/2020 6:16:25 PM

The City Council amendment needs to be on the ballot in November. Letting the citizens vote is democracy.

Ward 8

7/24/2020 6:42:06 PM

I urge the Charter Commission to respect the democratic rights of the citizens of Minneapolis and to place the original Charter question, as drafted by the Minneapolis City Council, on the ballot for consideration in the immediately upcoming election. The Commission's counterproposal, as a product of an unelected and unaccountable commission, only serves to muddy the waters and confuse the issues, which the City Council's proposal confronts head on.

Ward 8

7/24/2020 6:49:32 PM

I understand there are two versions of the ballot initiative currently proposed that could potentially be on my November ballot. I would like the Charter Commission to please approve and recommend the City Council's version of the ballot initiative. The Charter Commission's version greatly waters down the ability to pass the reforms that the City Council and residents of Minneapolis are trying to make happen. I STRONGLY support the City Council in their efforts and will be very upset if the Charter Commission does not approve the Council's ballot amendment or stalls and keeps it off the ballot entirely.

Ward 2

7/24/2020 7:14:05 PM

It is clear that the Minneapolis Police Department, as it currently is structured, will not hold police officers accountable for misconduct, including murder, until completely restructured.

In order to restructure the depart, it has become clear that the charter amendment being proposed to reduce the city’s armed police force is the only way to ensure that that police force can be shaped into one that the public can trust. One that has civilian oversight and civilian authority to remove officers that have broken the public’s trust.

I am calling on the Charter Commission to place this charter amendment on the ballot to ensure that we, as residents of Minneapolis, can democratically vote on it.

Ward 8

7/24/2020 7:57:12 PM

Thank you for holding and facilitating the public comment period last night. I want to write in support of the proposed Charter Amendment to Article VII ( https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/File/3882/MPD%20Charter%20Amendment%20Articles%20 VII%20and%20Article%20VIII.pdf ) and ask that it be on the ballot this fall. Although I joined the event late and missed a great many voices, I think the final speaker, Seamus, captured the feeling well. MPD =/= safety. It must be changed, and this proposed charter amendment is a good step in the right direction. I agree that we need more input, especially from BIPOC individuals, and that our system is not yet perfect. But, please, let us work together on this for a better future for each and every one of us. Ward 13 7/24/2020 8:31:30 PM

Hello-

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxx and I am commenting from Ward 8 of Minneapolis, MN. I am commenting to say that I am demanding the Charter Commission to move the public safety amendment forward! We need to reimagine community safety in a radical way, because what we have now is continually murdering QTBIPOC folks in our community. It is absolutely frightening and we are fed up with it. We need REAL change, NOW. Thank you.

Ward 8

7/24/2020 9:14:49 PM

I don’t care for the commissioners’ choice to override the city council’s proposal, let alone leave in place only the part about police.

More of us in Minneapolis need more options for provisions of public safety: a way for 911 to dispatch *unarmed* social workers and mental health professionals when requested *without an armed escort*; a commitment to sustainable systemic changes to prevent violence by providing stable housing; etc.

The alternatives to keeping in place a violent police force won’t come from commissioners who seldom experience systemic violence like George Floyd or Jamar Clark.

Please use the language as proposed by the MplsCity Council

Ward 4 7/24/2020 9:31:10 PM

Let Minneapolis voters vote on this charter amendment. I have lived in Ward 9 for 9 years, and have seen neighbors of all backgrounds work to create safety and wellbeing for one another with incredible creativity and care. I know that prioritizing resources in community-led practices for safety and violence prevention will be a vital step to a truly safe city. Our future should be decided by the voters. Let the full proposed amendment go to our ballots this year.

Ward 9

7/24/2020 9:51:58 PM

To all the members of the charter commission,

As a south Minneapolis citizen, Minneapolis Public schools teacher, lifetime Minneapolis resident and mother I beg you to please put the charter amendment into the community’s hands by putting it onto the November ballot.

The city has been torn apart one two many times and the community deserves to have its voices heard. If this is delayed the entire process must start again. I hope you do the write thing and let us vote.

Thank you.

Ward 12

7/25/2020 6:22:53 AM

It is of the utmost importance that the people of Minneapolis be able to vote on this amendment.

Right now our city does not have the necessary resources to help our community feel safe. I can’t trust the Minneapolis Police Department. In I have an emergency, I can’t trust that they will be able to handle the situation without escalating to violence against my neighbors.

The MPD has been able to get away with so much, because they are not accountable to the people of our city. This amendment needs to be on the ballots so the voices of our city can be heard on this issue. So that the people we elect have the power to put resources into systems that can help our neighbors heal, resolve issues, thrive, and finally feel safe.

Ward 2

7/25/2020 6:57:19 AM

I am a resident of Ward 8 writing to urge you to include the City Council's charter amendment question on the November ballot. In the events surrounding the murder of George Floyd, we've seen how many residents of Minneapolis do not feel that the current framework for policing serves their interests. It's time for some sort of change, & the residents of Minneapolis deserve a chance to weigh in directly on a change that affects so many aspects of our daily lives. Further, on a personal note, as a white resident of Minneapolis, even I no longer trust the current system of policing to address community safety concerns appropriately. As a consequence, I now feel hesitant to call on the police when safety concerns do arise. Finally, while I appreciate the Charter Commission's own amendment proposal, I do not think it alone can effectively address the issues in the Minneapolis Police Department; and, in fact, we have already seen attempts by the MPD to abrogate such a proposal by simply cutting staffing and resources to programs that are actually more popular with Minneapolis residents. For these reasons, please vote to allow the City Council's amendment proposal to appear on the November ballot. Thank you.

Ward 8

7/25/2020 7:21:28 AM

It is vital that Minneapolis residence are able to vote on this amendment.

The future of what public safety and the MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

In order to have a safer Minneapolis, we must remove military force, violence, terror and weapons from our first responders sent to non-violent situations or mental health crises. There is no need to violent weapons to be used and present in these situations.

We do not feel safe around police. Instead the evoke fear. They are not here to protect and serve us. They have been here to brutalize, violate and kill us. We need first responders who are well trained with compassion, empathy and how to respond to mental health crises. No more weapons and violence. No more MPD.

Ward 2

7/25/2020 7:44:03 AM

I think we need more mental health and homeless help, and less law enforcement interactions. (Poverty leads to crime). Use of deadly force should be the last resort not the first weapon they reach for out of their training. Much of the problem is health care and starvation wages. Henry Ford built the usa economy by paying his employees well. It lifted the quality of life for the whole country. What are amazon, Walmart, and other giants doing for 🇺🇺🇺🇺? They get tax breaks instead of regulation. We allow them to steal away our living standards so they can pay their to execs. The whole state needs a real living wage (20 to 25 an hour) for full time at these big corporations. Don't let them ruin our society by allowing them to use the working poor. Then health care costs and crime will go way down when American can buy a home and send kids to college again.

Ward 3

7/25/2020 8:14:04 AM

I’m so disappointed. I moved to Minneapolis 10 years ago from Iowa. I always felt safe in my home. There had been isolated incidents of petty crime through the years. My roommates truck was stolen. My husbands truck was broken in to twice. But nothing like what we’ve seen and heard in the last couple of months. My husband wants us to move. It’s not safe to be outside. And we can’t take our toddler to the park any more because we’ve given these beautiful spaces away. I support helping the homeless and there has to be a better way than alongside the city’s most vulnerable. To defund the police and treat them as though they don’t matter so that more crime can ruin this home I’ve grown to love is one of the saddest things I’ve seen in my life. Yes there is continuing education needed and psychological evaluations needed. That said, there are many good cops out there. I’m sad that I will have to relocate to a place where my son won’t get to be a part of the diversity because we simply no longer feel safe. I don’t think anyone has ever considered some of the reverse effects these actions are having on the general population. Disappointing for sure.

Ward 8

7/25/2020 11:35:54 AM

These amendments are completely absurd. I am a progressive person who has started and sold several very well-known companies. I have read thousands of legal documents. The proposed amendment reads as if it was written by a teenager. Any rational person can conclude that the director of this new Community Safety and Violence Prevention Department will not be someone who believes that there should be police in our community. It is then pretty easy to conclude that the person will fully exercise their right to not maintain any police in our city. Read the provision from the amendment below. The Council “may” maintain police. This is beyond lunacy. Much like how many Trump folks have demanded their “right” to not wear masks, and are now learning the hard way that this approach is absolutely foolish and killing people, the same will be true if we minimize/eliminate police. This amendment is hasty, and was written in a heated moment, and not with deep consideration of the things that will make logical people support it.

Anyone who believes that communities will police themselves is terribly mistaken. I deeply believe in the 2nd amendment, and yet that surely doesn’t mean that I will have any involvement in community policing, because I will not.

The Mayor needs to figure out how to revamp police screening and training, and the idea of having a new person who will inherently not want the police to exist is scary and absurd.

The second part of the amendment is just as crazy. There needs to be a minimal level of police because, if there isn’t, there is a high probability that there will be no police.

Please read these amendments before voting, folks.

“The Council “may” maintain a division of law enforcement services, composed of licensed peace officers, subject to the supervision of the department of community safety and violence prevention.”

Ward 7

7/25/2020 11:36:00 AM

I've lived in South Minneapolis since 2012 and in Ward 8 since 2015. This has been entire my post college life.

I feel the MPD has lost the respect of myself and the community. I'm disgusted by the behavior of the officers involved in George Floyd's killing and I think that it has become clear the minor changes and reforming the department are not possible.

When the officer's elect a man like Bob Kroll to lead their union, its clear that they are not representative of my values or the values of the City of Minneapolis. The MPD needs to be defended and dissolved and the only way to do that is to start by amending the charter. Without this first step, we will be stuck with half measures, and an MPD that continues to poorly represent and violently harass the community they serve.

Ward 8

7/25/2020 11:58:02 AM

Please allow the people of Minneapolis to vote on the City Council's amendment to the City Charter. The Charter Commission's amendment does not go nearly far enough in giving the people of Minneapolis a choice in how we are policed. The question of how our police department should be structured is far too big to be decided by unelected decision makers. This impactes everyone in this city. Therefore, we should all have a vote in how it looks going forward. Only the City Council's amendment allows this. Thank you.

Ward 10

7/25/2020 12:11:26 PM

We the people do not want our Police Department destroyed, defunded or dismantled. To even take offense to a minimum number of officers per capita, the most basic extension of government (providing base limits on civil servants for total population), is outrageous. We want a better trained PD, the average Joe DOES NOT want the police dismantled.

Stop wasting time pushing an agenda and taking steps in the wrong direction for political points, and actually consider how your actions will put more lives in danger and take away the most basic of protections a city is supposed to have for its citizens. Listen to ALL of your constituents, stop playing politics.

Ward 10

7/25/2020 12:20:32 PM

I've lived in the Twin Cities since 2004. I am an educator. Indanishinaabew, I am Ojibwe. The white supremacist, fascist tactics carried out by the MPD since its inception is unacceptable. No police reform will ever be enough, and there's evidence aplenty to prove it. I want to be able to vote on what the future of policing will look like in Minneapolis. Include the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety.

Ward 2

7/25/2020 12:38:09 PM

I believe that the future of the Minneapolis Police Department should be decided by the voters of Minneapolis. I want to vote on the comprehensive admendment proposed by the City Council, not the watered-down amendment proposed by the Commission. I believe that the people of Minneapolis deserve the chance to vote on the most transformative possible amendment and only consider milder reforms if later necessary.

Ward 10 7/25/2020 12:38:32 PM

We are watching you. We know the things you do to pretend you are doing something. Bottom line. If Michelle Gross with CUAPB Communities United Against Police Brutality and Nekima Levy Pounds do not sign off on this then it will mean nothing. Full stop. End of story.

Ward 6

7/25/2020 12:39:16 PM

Ward 6

7/25/2020 1:03:05 PM

I support the Charter Commission's amendment to delete the calculation of how many police to fund. I do NOT support the Council's amendment at all.

We do need a police department and it can be restructured with no absolutely needed amendment to the Charter. We all want change, but I see the Counci's move as delaying progress.

Ward 2

7/25/2020 1:04:48 PM

Writing to remind you all that the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers!

We need to be able to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 4

7/25/2020 1:07:09 PM

Greetings, As a resident of Minneapolis and as a school counselor in the Minneapolis Public Schools, I am in strong agreement with putting the charter amendment to vote. The future of MPD should be decided through a democratic process, all voices should be allowed to be heard, not just those that are able to sit on the phone and call in to hearings or have access (like me) to internet services. I believe we should be able to vote to remove the MPD from the city charter and create a new department of public safety. I can be reached at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or at xxxxxxxxxxxx. Thank you, Ward 5 7/25/2020 1:12:15 PM

The City Council, following the demands of those who elected them to office, have put forth a charter amendment to begin the process of defunding the Minneapolis Police Department. Allow the people to vote on the charter amendment, as presented by the council. The Charter Commission is not an elected body and does not represent our community. We have tried to tell you want we want, and keep pushing for action representing our desires. Please do your job and let us vote on the Charter Amendment as a part of the democratic systems of which we all believe in.

Ward 10

7/25/2020 1:14:11 PM

The future of the city should be in the hands of the citizens that live here. We live in a democratic state and therefore the people of Minneapolis should be able to vote on whether or not MPD will continue to exist or not. It should be on our ballots for voting. "Reform" of the police department has not once worked and BIPOC people that live in our city are still routinely harassed and murdered by Minneapolis police officers.

The people of the city need to be the ones who make the decisions about our future here in Minneapolis.

Ward 3

7/25/2020 1:26:32 PM

As I live outside the city, I depend on MPD to protect my friends who reside within the city and me when I am in Minneapolis. However, the bottom-line about MPD is that they are NOT efficiently protecting people in Minneapolis. In other words, MPD is an inefficient government organization that is causing the deaths of innocent people. No community would let any organization do this repeatedly, consistently, and without accountability. MPD has not been protecting the people of Minneapolis and should therefore be abolished and effort and funds should be put towards programs that would decrease crime by improving public health. Regardless of my stance, the people of Minneapolis need the ability to vote on whether to abolish the MPD or not. That is the least their democratic government can give them. I don't reside in Minneapolis 7/25/2020 1:39:45 PM

Defund the Police. Please.

Ward 6

7/25/2020 1:43:12 PM

Mpls was my hm in the areas of lake street this change has been need for yrs. I'm sorry people lost business and lives. Its sad to see what happened to the city store s. A essential part of neighbors.

I don't reside in Minneapolis 7/25/2020 1:43:19 PM

I am a resident and homeowner in Ward 7. I am completely against the Charter Amendment Proposal By Giraud-Isaacson. While it is an improvement from the complete knee jerk reaction of the last charter amendment proposal put forth by Ellison, Cano, Gordon, Fletcher, and Bender, it still provides absolute NO suggestions of how to change the system. Removing the funding from the police without concrete, data based changes is not rational or effective. My tax dollars pay for your salaries to do a job. You are failing miserably. Please do not put this on the ballot. Please come back to the table when you actually have a plan. Minneapolis needs you to do much better than this.

Ward 7

7/25/2020 1:44:29 PM

Unelected bureaucracy should not stand in front of making Minneapolis safer. We are not "moving too fast", voters want the chance to make their voice heard and the charter commission should listen.

The city council's amendment should be moved forward immediately.

Ward 11

7/25/2020 1:45:21 PM

JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD. #ChangetheCharter!!

7/25/2020 1:45:38 PM

i agree

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/25/2020 1:47:25 PM

Justice for george floyd, Black Lives Fucking Matter. Thank you

7/25/2020 1:47:29 PM

This proposal is an insult. If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right. Listen to the people.

Ward 2

7/25/2020 1:47:34 PM

I support the removal of the MPD from the charter and the creation of a community safety and violence prevention department.

Ward 4

7/25/2020 1:49:08 PM

I don't live MPLS, but I do visit from Hopkins quite often. The Hopkins police visit my apartment complex daily for reasons I do not understand, and I am sure this is the case with MPD. To which I ask you, why? How come you get to choose how much $ they receive, their purpose, their design? Why isn't the fate of MPD up to the people affected by it most? Remember this. Let the police decide the systems that affect them. The people tell you what they need, don't tell them. You quite clearly have a different life than them, so how would you know what they need? People are homeless, dying at the hands of cops, begging for you to listen. This is the history of MPLS, and you have the change to change it. So do it.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/25/2020 1:50:19 PM

The Charter Commission's Amendment to remove minimum funding is necessary. The police should be operating on a zero-based budgeting, justifying their expenses.

The creation of the Community Safety and Violence Prevention which includes law enforcement is a sufficient first step to remove the over police presence and better meet Minneapolis' needs.

Ward 7

7/25/2020 1:50:36 PM

It’s time for a change that public officials listen to the people, the citizens of this state. Let the healing begin. Let’s make history together.

Ward 3

7/25/2020 1:50:50 PM

#JusticeForFloyd

7/25/2020 1:50:55 PM

I am born and raised in South Minneapolis. Now at the age of 74 I live with my husband in our own home on east 29th Ave. We both strongly support the Carter Amendment that would clear the path to dismantle this police department and start a new. The history of MPD is steeped in racism and violence. The culture is one of war rather than community service. We gave had our car stolen, our garage vandalized and tools stolen. Our dear friend was nearly killed in a mugging at her front door. The police never even came to take her statement. Police do not prevent crime. They come after the fact and record it if you are lucky. Minneapolis needs housing, mental health services, better schools and more. We need these things that will make our community safe. Please amend the Charter so true needed change can happen. Thank you.

Ward 12

7/25/2020 1:51:02 PM

Hello,

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxx and I’m a resident of Ward 7. I am a pediatric dentist and my spouse is a public elementary teacher and we are expecting the birth of our first child in August. During this time of pain and tragedy in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, I have spent significant time reading and learning more about the Minneapolis PD and the movement to disband the current way we approach public safety. I encourage the Charter Commission to adopt the City Council’s bold, and necessary proposed amendment. We currently look to police to solve a multitude of problems, but having them more heavily armed or better funded isn’t addressing core issues - it’s putting the public at greater risk of violent confrontation and putting more people in jail. We continue to allocate more and more public funding to increasing militarization of the police in the name of safety, but it’s more clear than ever that this isn’t resulting in public safety. Especially when our communities are facing huge budget shortfalls in light of the pandemic, it’s easier than ever to rethink what we want to prioritize. I was encouraged by the City Council’s proposed amendment, and their commitment to engaging voters in this first step of changing the charter. Our residents understand this will be a process with many steps in the transition, but the first step is daring to take bold action to commit to alternatives and reallocate substantial resources to make it a reality. I urge you to adopt the City Council’s proposed amendment, and leave it to the voters to decide, rather than complicate it with the Commission’s own watered-down proposed amendment. We elect our City Council members and they act on behalf of the constituents who vote for them. The Charter Commission, who is not accountable to voters, should not propose a competing amendment.

Ward 7

7/25/2020 1:51:41 PM

We need a fresh start to how we manage and protect our communities instead of guzzling tax payer money into clown ridin round whoopin peoples asses. So what’s right and vote to defund the police, invest in those who wish to better and hold down their communities. Ward 1 7/25/2020 1:52:03 PM change the charter Ward 6 7/25/2020 1:55:13 PM

I have previously written a lengthy letter to the Charter Commission detailing the nine reasons why I oppose the Charter Amendment proposed by the City Council. I remain opposed to that proposed amendment and urge you not to permit it to go onto the November ballot. With respect to the Charter Amendment proposed by the Charter Commission, for the reasons set forth in my letter regarding the City Council's proposed Amendment I don't believe that there has to be any change in the minimum number of employees of the police department in order for there to be meaningful structural change in how policing is done in Minneapolis, nor for there to be disinvestment in policing and reinvestment in other ways to deliver services now delivered by police. My preference would be not to change the Charter until the City Council has made more concrete and thoughtful proposals for structural change, disinvestment, and reinvestment and it is determined that a change is the Charter is required. All that said, I would not oppose having the Charter Commission's proposed Amendment on the November ballot, though at this point in time I haven't decided whether I would vote for it. I continue to oppose putting the City Council's proposed Amendment to a vote. Ward 7 7/25/2020 1:55:57 PM

all lives won’t matter until black lives matter

7/25/2020 1:56:05 PM

I believe that the Commission should allow the public to vote on this amendment via the November ballot. Whatever feelings Commission members may have toward supporting or opposing its enactment, this is an issue for city voters to ultimately decide. I believe the wording of the amendment is not "vague," but that it allows for flexibility in how city leaders can develop and implement a new approach to public safety and violence prevention, drawing both from research-tested evidence and the lived experiences of city residents. Denying voters the chance to decide on this amendment will risk prolonging and legitimizing the harm that Black and Brown communities have experienced for generations in our city, despite countless efforts to enact reforms which have repeatedly failed to reduce the frequency and severity of police violence toward these citizens.

Respectfully,

Ward 9

7/25/2020 1:56:10 PM

As a citizen of Minneapolis, I would like to be able to vote on amendments to the charter that govern my city. I support putting the city council's amendment on the ballot for November so our whole community can weigh in on the type and size of public safety support we want for our neighborhoods. Our current system is not keeping all of us safe, so it's time to follow our democratic principles and vote to change it.

Ward 6

7/25/2020 1:56:38 PM

Corrupt police have run rampant in our communities and it is time to take them off of the charter

Ward 1

7/25/2020 1:56:53 PM

#justiceforfloyd he was amazing . we all make mistakes but should his of killed him innocently.

NO!

Every politician , gov person or anybody of the sort should literally has made a mistake we as the people should support them right well why not george too.

Ward 1

7/25/2020 1:57:04 PM

The way people of color have been treated in America is no mystery, and now we have an opportunity to bring about more justice. Yet "justice" losses all meaning in our country. How can we have justice when our justice system is so corrupt? I ask you to please understand, Black Lives Matter. And until we arrest the cops who have committed such heinous crimes against people of color, we can never say we have a justice system. But rather, an Injustice System. Saying "Blue Loves Matter" is ignorant. As it's already obvious that our country favors the cops. Therefore we need to make it known, we must never stop until everyone knows that Black Live Matter. Cops have no place in dealing with small issues, especially when they have a rather racist background in our society. Therefore, our country would benefit for better screening of cops, and creating a force of just people to help deescalate issues before something horrendous happens.

7/25/2020 1:58:01 PM

I am in full support of defunding and reforming the police, however, I am adamantly against dismantling the police and replacing with some community safety replacement. Terrible decision.

Ward 1

7/25/2020 1:58:37 PM

Blm �

7/25/2020 1:59:00 PM

I understand it's scary. For some of you, the thought of a world with no police, or even a world with less police, is scary. However, doing the right thing is often scary. We live in a community, and the point of community is to take care of each other. In this community, there is a force actively working to do the opposite of care for us. Intentional or not, fueled by racism or not, this force, the police force, is hurting our community. Our neighbors of color are telling us, have been telling us, for decades upon decades that they're being terrorized and killed by policing in their communities. I figured out that they were telling the truth too late. I took years to listen to their voices and believe them. But you, have a chance right now. A chance to choose to listen intently and respond in spite of your fear with courage. A chance to change your community for the better, based on the voices and needs in that community. So please, listen with empathy, and change the charter. This is a chance to do the right thing for once. It's cut and dry. We don't often get clear "right and wrong" choices in life, but here, now, you have a chance to do the right thing and change our society for the better. Again, I get that you might be afraid. Now realize that that fear is a fraction of the fear the policing has caused in our neighbors of colors lives every single day. If you can push through that fear, we can make something beautiful. It starts here. The world and country are watching. Let's do the right thing.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/25/2020 1:59:50 PM

Change the qualified immunity!!! Change the contract the union has!!!

7/25/2020 1:59:54 PM

Hello, I wish to see the police defunded, to the degree that we still have public safety but where majority of our tax dollars go not to funding police but to education, public health care, and programs to help minority (including impoverished people) and POC communities recover from covid. I don't reside in Minneapolis 7/25/2020 1:59:59 PM

Yes! The Minneapolis city charter needs to be amended to provide an establishment dedicated to community safety and abolish the police department.

I deeply believe that the city of Minneapolis will greatly benefit from a department dedicated to community safety and violence prevention.

I would like to vote on this in November.

Ward 3

7/25/2020 2:00:27 PM

As evidenced by the unjustified and unpunished murders of innocent people over the last decade and more, the MPD works more to harm rather than protect Minneapolis residents.

We need to be able to vote to dismantle the MPD and reallocate funds from their overinflated militaristic budget into a new department that will be able to adequately provide safety for the people it serves.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/25/2020 2:02:25 PM

This is what I'd like to see:

1. No more police union. All it does is protect bad actors.

2. All cops are contractors required to carry insurance (uninsurable = unemployable) and subject to civilian review.

3. Regulated OT- cops make questionable at the end of shifts to get that OT, overtime encourages bad behavior.

4. Require police to live in the community they serve.

The police have become a toxic entity and its best to start over at this point.

Ward 4

7/25/2020 2:06:57 PM

Defund the police and invest in community lead safety.

Anything less will not stand.

Do not hire security to patrol our streets.

We want the mpd defunded and dismantled now.

Thank you.

Ward 8 7/25/2020 2:07:53 PM

If a police department is so weak on accountability that an officer with 18 complaints against him can still feel like he can kneel on and knowingly kill another human in plain view of camera phones... And 3 officers can look on and be too “green” to say anything.... That whole department may need to go because the culture is rotten.

Ward 2

7/25/2020 2:10:00 PM

Hello, my name is xxxxxxxxxxx and I have lived in the Lynnhurst Neighborhood in Ward 13 for almost 30 years.

I am writing to ask you to put the Charter Amendment on the ballot this fall so all Minneapolis residents can decide how we would like to keep our city safe. Our elected City Council unanimously decided to give us, its constituents, a chance to change our public safety model in response to our cries and shouts for change in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder.

The time is now. We cannot allow more BIPOC people to be intimidated, brutalized or murdered - which history shows will continue to happen if we delay changing policing in our city. We need you, the Commission to step aside and allow our democracy to work. Let us vote. The country is watching us, the world is watching us, our children are watching us. Let's be the visionary city of Minneapolis putting this amendment to a vote. Thank you.

Ward 13

7/25/2020 2:15:38 PM fuck the police

Ward 1

7/25/2020 2:18:46 PM

I am concerned about the police officers specifically. Don't see any real change. Every officer should have to pass screening for their character and past behavior. This is the 21st century, we need 21st century solutions to our police problems. I propose we go to a robotic police force programed to be compassionate and not see color. I believe Robots would definitely help to decrease crime because of their presence. Research shows women police officers defuse situations better, we need more women police officers.

Ward 1

7/25/2020 2:19:41 PM

#changethecharter and get justice for Floyd

Ward 7

7/25/2020 2:20:43 PM

I am 100% on board for the community safety and violence prevention department!! The city needs this and it needs to be leading the global change so others can follow their lead! I BELIEVE IN YOU MINNEAPOLIS! � � � � �

Ward 3

7/25/2020 2:22:14 PM

Hello,

I’m a 10 year North Loop resident demanding an end to MPD. We need an entirely new system to help people and not act as a rogue force intent on violence toward the vulnerable. No more MPD!!!

Ward 3

7/25/2020 2:24:49 PM

I think that cops are important in are society today. But they need more training that shows them how to handle with care of any person no matter race. If they can't do that simple task the outcome is simple they can't be a cop. And any man how has killed another man or injured another man solely based on his race should be pit into prison to rot. Were all human and should never have to be afraid of one another. Some cops are bad some are good, are goal is not to get rid of all cops and let all crime rise, are goal is to delete the bad cops and make sure that the good ones know what the fuck their doing.

7/25/2020 2:29:48 PM

I do not support the charter amendment proposed by the city council. I would support the creation of a Public Safety Department under the mayor's authority.

I agree with the Charter Commission's proposal to eliminate the police staffing level from the charter, but would like for the charter to specify a Public Safety Department overseen by the mayor and including a police division.

Ward 3

7/25/2020 2:33:05 PM

I am with you all, all the way.

7/25/2020 2:33:53 PM

For Minneapolis to live into its values of being a compassionate city that assures social well being for all, the council needs to vote to change the charter to provide the opportunity to re imagine community safety. The current charter is too rigid in its requirements, a rigidity that does not provide what the community needs to assure all people feel safe. It contains an outdated notion that a ratio of police officers to population assures safety.

Ward 8

7/25/2020 2:34:51 PM

The police do not prevent crime. Police show up after crimes ar committed. Defunding the police and funding community support measures should be the focus.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/25/2020 2:35:08 PM

We need justice for George Floyd and all the other's the Minneapolis police department killed I am the baby mother of Tycel Nelson that was killed dec 1 1990 by officer Dan May' received a gold medal justice for All and all police is not bad

Ward 4

7/25/2020 2:35:22 PM

Ward 4

7/25/2020 2:36:02 PM

I just want this fixed finally. If that means removing the Minneapolis PD then that’s what you need to do. There’s no possible way the cops with racist tendencies who held jobs their weren’t known about before they changed from cops into murderers therefore George’s death and the ones before him could’ve been prevented had that type of behavior been singled out immediately & eliminated at the very first sign of prejudice. At the very least there should be an absolute zero tolerance policy for any cops who show any signs of racism. That should be the case for every single officer in this country and the entire judicial system for that matter. We gotta identify and get rid of it before it’s to late and someone gets killed again.

7/25/2020 2:38:13 PM

I live in St. Paul and would like to see the Minneapolis charter amendment that makes no room for police.

change the charter to eliminate MPD. We need a clear commitment that the future of public safety in Minneapolis will not be led by current or former cops.

You lost the feeling of safety with the current police department and the future of public safety in Minneapolis should not be led by current or former cops.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/25/2020 2:41:04 PM

What are you doing to proactively educated MN state residents about the charter amendment so they are adequately and appropriately informed prior to the November general election? Ward 11

7/25/2020 2:47:03 PM

Absolutely not..the gangs and criminals already believe it is open season and they can operate without any consequences.Surely the looting,arson,antisocial and unacceptable behaviour in the wake of the murder of a career criminal should send a clear message that trying to run a city without law enforcement is simply not possible.

Ward 6

7/25/2020 2:48:42 PM

#ChangeTheCharter

Ward 5

7/25/2020 2:49:16 PM

I support putting the Charter Amendment on the ballot. The people deserve to vote and make this decision about the future of public safety in our city - not unelected decision makers. We took to the streets after George Floyd's and that was a beginning of a commitment to change -- this is a critical step in the will of the people. Put the amendment to the people and let us vote!

Ward 12

7/25/2020 2:52:54 PM

I fully support efforts to change the Minneapolis Charter to reimagine an Office of Community Safety and Violence Prevention.

#JusticeForFloyd

#ChangetheCharter

Ward 12

7/25/2020 2:57:55 PM

Hello. I am a resident in Minneapolis’s 12th Ward and I hope you will allow the future of the Minneapolis Police Department to be voted on through a democratic process. Please let us vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter. We will not be quelled by smaller reforms.

Ward 12

7/25/2020 3:00:32 PM

George Floyd’s killers should have a death sentence.

7/25/2020 3:02:29 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and I’m a resident of Ward 12. George Floyd was murdered 10 blocks from my house. I am a soft supporter of this amendment. In listening to the public comments, I consider myself swayable. However, I believe that it should be my choice on how to vote on this amendment and not yours. You are an unelected body that is standing in the way of democracy. When the right to vote is under attack across our country, why be another barrier? Give us the vote! Trust Minneapolitans to make the right call. The eyes of the world and history are on you. Don’t be remembered as a George Wallace. Be remembered as a John Lewis.

Please vote to allow this amendment to be on the ballot THIS November. Turnout matters and we will get the most voices THIS year.

Ward 12

7/25/2020 3:10:05 PM

Dear members of the Charter Commission,

I am a resident of Minneapolis and I believe the City Council's amendment should be left to the voters to decide THIS YEAR. We elected our City Council and they have made a proposal to meet the people's demands; un-elected gatekeepers slowing down the reform process is unacceptable.

This commission stifled charter reform efforts in 2018/2019. Since - many people have died, thousands have marched, and parts of my city have burned. Making residents wait a year or more before they can vote for necessary change is cruel and dangerous. I do not think you took your positions to stifle the will of the people. Please, allow us to vote this year.

Sincerely,

Ward 10

7/25/2020 3:14:08 PM

I support the council’s charter amendment. We need violence prevention, affordable places to live and good jobs. Police don’t prevent crime, they escalate situations and make things worse. Please #letusvote

Ward 4

7/25/2020 3:18:24 PM

Please change the charter according to the proposed amendment and begin reimagining community safety through funding of proven community resources.

Ward 9

7/25/2020 3:18:33 PM

Justice for george FLOYD!

7/25/2020 3:30:28 PM

Let's do this right for all. The July proposed charter amendment set. 7.3(c) I am in agreement wi6

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/25/2020 3:33:12 PM

Defund the Minneapolis Police Department. Too long has American history show time and time again unnecessary entitlement and aggression is hateful and disruptive to the lives of our citizens. Who MATTER, have families and beating hearts worth caring for. Defund the police, defund brutality, save lives worthy of chance, change, and inspire never-before-seen white compassion towards proper Justice and Peace

Ward 3

7/25/2020 3:36:14 PM

Please redirect resources away from the police and toward prevention, de-escalation and intervention. Utilize 311 more and reserve 911 and the police for when it's actually needed.

Ward 4

7/25/2020 3:36:36 PM

Please give Minneapolis the chance to vote and put the charter amendment on the ballot in November.

Ward 7

7/25/2020 3:43:05 PM

I believe that eliminating the minimum required staffing levels of the Minneapolis Police Department would overall be a good thing because it would let funding go to other sections of government in need of money

Ward 6

7/25/2020 3:45:10 PM

The July 18 StarTribune article reported that 25% of the Police Force plan to apply for disability due to PTSD. For some, this is their reaction to and retaliation for criticism. Others can use insurance for excellent new PTSD therapies.

But why so many applications now and not before? Third precinct police said they “feared for their lives” when the protest came to their door. Why? ... because they have no training in negotiation or deescalation. Instead they followed the manual on how to ramp up the fear and anger of demonstrators. Why aren’t they traumatized by watching the murder on tape as we are?

We need to test the mental readiness and empathy potential of recruits before and pair them with people trained in calming reaction and anger. We’d save millions in lawsuits to add to the budget of the new safe-cities organizations.

Minneapolis police have created a climate of fear and intimidation that creates trauma for citizens. The terror and vulnerability every Black person feels any time they are stopped by a cop, is a constant recurring trauma. But their fear is rooted in a reality they’ve experienced personally or in their communities. They have no special support for PTSD. Black people know it’s too big a risk to call the cops for help, but I’m still afraid our police don’t know how to keep calm in a crisis.

How many “bad apples” are there in the force?.

Our fear is NOT the consequence of neighborhood demonstrations and destruction. This is the direct consequence of watching three police watch their partner murder a man. I mean, how many “bad apples” are there, and what are the odds I get a good apple when I have an emergency?

I understand that Minneapolis police feel hurt, threatened and misunderstood. When they see a Black or Brown person they react on beliefs and assumptions many suburban or rural people have, that the big city is filled with crime and scary, violent people. So every day a cop leaves home to work in the big city, they feel vulnerable and threatened. That is stressful. I’ve lived in Powderhorn Park every day for 40 years and it’s a great neighborhood. In early 90s “Murderapolis” years I felt real concern, but right now I feel a part of a heroic effort to understand why riots, demonstrations, and now, the homeless encampments continue. I’m proud that so many neighbors want very badly to listen, learn and do the next right thing— even though they know they can’t fix it.?

A child watched and videoed the entire death process of a cop choking the life out of George Floyd. That’s a murder that 3 other “protect and serve” cops did nothing to stop. So I don’t feel safe. We have seen too many live videos of police violence and murder. How can I rely on the judgement and self- control of the person who answers my 911 call?

Police and the South Minneapolis community feel upset and feel unheard. Neither group can fix the situation. Unless they leave the job, a cop can’t challenge the culture of cops protecting their own, nor can they confront racist actions, conversations or violence they witness. No one, to date, has.

The next person they kill will cause a greater explosion of civil rights demonstrations.

This is impacting our neighborhood with devastating financial and emotional trauma. We have only the police action to blame. If they murder another person, the whole city will erupt. Again the reaction will ripple around the country and the world. Why are we so ready to take that risk on a department that we KNOW it’s only a matter of time before they continue to abuse their power and eventually kill another unarmed cuffed person in custody!?

Powderhorn

Ward 9

7/25/2020 3:49:09 PM

This is way too busy, complicated, and ‘government’ - sounding. It’s a remake of existing government’ blathering. Start over and rebuild based on ‘real’ needs - replacing things police should NOT be responsible for ie: mental health, housing, welfare, child services, etc.

7/25/2020 3:51:50 PM

It is very obvious that law enforcement cannot exist in the United States as it currently does. Serious changes must be made. We should lead the way in this change. This proposal must be adopted immediately because it is clear to see that change now will lead to long term recovery. 7/25/2020 3:52:25 PM

Leave the police department alone. I think this Police defunding idea is idiotic. Granted, I should be used to idiotic ideas in the current world I live in. I'm all in for getting rid of Bob Kroll though.

7/25/2020 4:03:54 PM

I support the proposed amendment put forward by the City Council. If the Charter Commission is concerned that this amendment does not represent the desires of the people of Minneapolis, I suggest they let us vote on it. An electronic comments system and online meetings are not accessible to all--I would note that the comments site is not available in other languages to allow more city residents to participate.

The people of Minneapolis cannot continue with a police department that cannot be held accountable, to ask us to wait another year is to say that we can continue to be subject to violence while the city deliberates. We need true reform, we need to be able to vote on this amendment.

Ward 8

7/25/2020 4:04:04 PM

Please allow the democratic process to take place by the people and not by unelected officials.

Ward 10

7/25/2020 4:07:18 PM

In light of the current financial woes, the city is claiming, some questions have not been answered yet......

The CAFR for the city of Minneapolis is the Financial Report on how much money the city made and how much money they spent and more importantly, how much was leftover AFTER all the bills were paid....

[http://www2.minneapolismn.gov/finance/reports/CAFR/financial-reports_cafr- home](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.minneapolismn.gov%2Ffinance%2Frepo rts%2FCAFR%2Ffinancial-reports_cafr-home%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0cKIMW_eDQ- T2bzZolGNnBW50732AX1I7NRO-WMNyNadH1u1wjcU- teMs&h=AT1IEpotrVBSWceE6PfHkq0ZOUvAJ9JS2iI_aCTNag3- m1Q2lH4kyPKEpUNyzjJXU2pObXcp0YVSwt09wACtpKerLDtt023oFYhG68OW6u1VOzRPMD_PQ7UCpd4rF Mo9snUJ&__tn__=-UK- R&c[0]=AT3aXc62K7dbHDXOjifFywsyegjysMn6uGXh3qRm9liBmnD4VR1lH5MFNyHlfv3C4voYfPP3VDCQv x60r9mz3aReevk0Mbs0V0GvKFaBF4JrEq7g3VY0RpmAgNG2wwA2DFe-XRG690ecF5PCEGY)

Go to page 29 (para 2) of each year for the CFAR for years 2016, 2017, and 2018... the general breakdown or "overall analysis of the city's funds" these numbers are in millions.

You will see that in year 2016 the city had a net profit of 71,041,000 (listed as an "unassigned or un- obligated fund balance for spending AT THE CITY'S DISCRETION") in year 2017 they had a net profit of 103,796,000 and in 2018 a net profit of 101,128,000. In those last 3 years the city of Minneapolis profited off its citizens to the combined tune of 275,965,000 (which doesn't include 2019 numbers, which is surely to be over 100,000,000) but this 3 year amount is almost twice the amount of the entire MPD budget. - so what is this talk about having to de-fund the Police to pay for "OTHER" services?.....and WHERE did all that "discretionary" money go?

Its for discretionary use by the city which means it can be used for ANYTHING....without public meetings, without public knowledge or tracking...... Now what do you think 13 CM's who all aspire to reach higher offices in their careers would do with an extra 275,965,000 in free spending money?....We can tell you what they DIDN'T do with it.

They didn't hire more Police, they didn't fund more social services to help the police (like they all are claiming is so important). It didn't go to any of the over 52 neighborhood associations for real grassroots initiatives to better the lives of its communities. Poof! gone like a fart in the wind (or in someones bank accounts)

If they had just put HALF that money away that would be enough to offset the 135 million in COVID losses AND a majority of the losses from the civil unrest AND funded many programs that are needed to help the Police and community see REAL changes...... but this money is apparently gone, since all we hear about is the city has no money......

Ward 3

7/25/2020 4:09:03 PM

Hello,

Citizens of Minneapolis should have a chance to vote on the charter amendment establishing a Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention this November. Please make sure we are able to do so! Now is the time to re-imagine our systems and make sure they are working for all of us!

Ward 13

7/25/2020 4:10:56 PM

Ward 8

7/25/2020 4:15:59 PM

I don't reside in Minneapolis, but I work downtown. I've interacted with MPD and seen how they treat people throughout downtown as I wait for the bus. Policing should be a community-based organization and it should be up to the community to decide.

Put the future of MPD on the November ballot.

Create a department of Community Safety.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/25/2020 4:16:54 PM

As a Ramsey resident, I am looking to you to change history and help make communities safer for ALL Americans by changing our communities' relationship to the system of policing! Please vote to change the charter.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/25/2020 4:30:27 PM

No change is needef

7/25/2020 4:49:02 PM

I have a good friend of mine who worked for the 3rd ward. Because of PTSD, he no longer works for the MPD. There is a radical change that needs to take place because of the continued abuse of military style training that causes this type of trauma to our police force and the people living in this neighborhood. I still have hope that there is a guiding force that is able to bring safety, peace and understanding to all cities of diversity and culture with a rich background in people of color. I pray for us all.

Ward 3

7/25/2020 4:55:41 PM

I am a Saint Paul resident, and many of those I care about live in Minneapolis. I urge the charter commission to adopt the City Council’s charter amendment allowing for the disbandment of the Minneapolis Police Department. The commission must allow the amendment to go to a public vote, as the people of Minneapolis have the right to decide for themselves what type of public safety they have. For too long the MPD has been violently criminalizing and hurting communities, especially black communities, in Minneapolis. It is time to remove that violence at the source by adopting the amendments that allow for the dissolution of the MPD.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/25/2020 5:03:36 PM

I am a resident of the Harrison neighborhood, and I am submitting a comment to remind the council and commission that the citizens of Minneapolis should help shape the future of the MPD by allowing us to vote on the city charter this upcoming election. Failing to include this on the ballot is a disservice not only to the community, but also to a democractic society -- we should vote for the things that happen in our communities. I'm not opposed to law enforcement by any means, but our communities need better schools, more economic opportunities, affordable housing. These are things that prevent crime, not more cops.We justify spending more on law enforcement to address crime in areas and people that we never fully invested in. Law enforcement doesn't get to the root of anything. It's been far too long that we've used policing as the bandaid of every single societal challenge. It's not a dignified way to approach community members that are struggling, and it's also not a fair ask of one person (a cop) to be able to appropriately respond to everything they are asked to respond to.

For all of the reasons listed above, the option to change the charter needs to be put to a vote this November by Minneapolis residents.

I used to trust and respect cops, but that trust has completely eroded.

Ward 5

7/25/2020 5:07:51 PM

I don't want to live in a city that tolerates the murder of innocent black men at the hands of Minneapolis police officers ... and I don't want to live in a city that abandons its residents to looters, murders, muggers, and arsonists. The proposal to defund the police as proposed by a majority of the city council was rash and has since generated a a great degree of blowback. The City Council now says that defund the police was just a first step and that they still haven't figured out what that means. But it seems like both the police and criminals took the statement literally. Since then the police have pulled back and criminals are now acting with impunity. And the whole city is suffering.

I'd ask the Charter Commission to do the opposite of what the City Council has proposed. I ask them to think rationally, act slowly, propose serious reform, not just declare something totally vague yet ultimately very damaging like Defund the Police. I ask them to oppose this change to the charter.

Ward 10

7/25/2020 5:26:59 PM

Are the police listening to how many people hate and fear them? Isn’t it time to admit the abusive tactics used for generations by the police? Isn’t it time for the police to beg for forgiveness? There have been protests on SIX CONTINENTS ... do you, the police, understand you have a serious fucking problem??? “To protect and serve”- what a fucking joke- more like “To harass and scare”... you police had your chance to make it right.... you didn’t do ANYTHING. Time to go away- GO AWAY

Ward 3

7/25/2020 5:58:01 PM

With all this increased crime- 70-90 percent increase from last year. Violent crime. Theft. Murder. Rape. Assault.

Do you really think this rush to alter the police force is anything but political? Silencing the spokesperson? This is the beginning of a new regime.

Is the charter commission rushed any amendment through I will know this is a true scam. It will however in time be exposed.

Ward 4 7/25/2020 6:02:57 PM

I would support clearly defined changes to add mental health support and crime prevention programs. But there is no clarity to the proposed charter changes so I can’t vote yes. Please bring a defined plan, supported by valid data, for the citizens on Minneapolis to vote on. Until then I will vote No.

Ward 4

7/25/2020 6:15:58 PM

Charter Commission:

The future of the MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety.

Ward 5

7/25/2020 6:26:03 PM

Police officers are not equipped with the specialized education to know how to handle a situation involving a person's mental health. This population is greatly overlooked and have little to no resources. They need the help of social workers, rehabilitation resources, etc to improve their quality of life. If you want crime rates to improve higher the right people to accomplish that goal. 2 years of education is not enough. Defund MSP police!

Ward 4

7/25/2020 6:56:19 PM

Please put the public safety charter change on the August ballot. Let's rethink policing!

Thank you,

South Minneapolis resident

Ward 8

7/25/2020 7:05:03 PM

Please include the policing charter amendment on the November ballot. The public needs to have a voice in this crucial process, especially with the city of Minneapolis on the verge of a potentially transformative positive change.

Ward 12

7/25/2020 7:05:52 PM

Hello,

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, I am a citizen of Minneapolis (over 10 years) and a nurse in our community. The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Police are a public health risk. They create violence that festers in our community, killing people outrightly or through fear, deteriorating their basic sense of safety. This is unacceptable. Nurses believe in a community free of police!

Thank you,

Ward 8

7/25/2020 7:41:08 PM

Please make sure this gets on the ballot in November. Make Minneapolis a safer place for all and help us serve as an example of how we can change our country!

Alternative means of public safety and crime prevention have worked elsewhere in the world and those same means will work here.

Ward 8

7/25/2020 7:47:16 PM

I am a Minneapolis resident named xxxxxxxxxx. I would like to see the new charter regarding police reform on the ballot in November and hope for a comprehensive plan on the topic.

Ward 6

7/25/2020 7:53:05 PM

Colonialism is devoid of compassion between the colonizers (and their descendants) and the colonized (and their descendants). The current U.S. Defense and Protection programs - local, state, national and international - are descendants of colonial tools that were used to suppress descendants of Africa by inflicting fear, violence, absurd and wicked punishment a.k.a. the Prison Industrial Complex a.k.a. the continuation of an economy that benefits from slavery.

If this is news to you, resign from your legislative position immediately and do some soul searching until you can imagine and feel what public safety actually is for ALL members of society.

That being said, I hope that you will continue to allow the public to vote on amendments to the charter as this is a democracy and we, the people, know what our own safety looks and feels like.

Ward 4

7/25/2020 7:53:13 PM

Hi, thanks for reading this note, my name is xxxxxxxxx. I am a resident of Minneapolis. I would like to see the new charter regarding drastically changing the Minneapolis police department on the upcoming ballot. It’s important to me that we come up with a comprehensive plan. A reallocation of some of the funding for the police could be used to spread resources around more equitably. Thanks

Ward 6

7/25/2020 8:30:13 PM

I am writing once again to request, you push the change the charter to a vote . Our elected officials are responsible for ensuring our voices are heard. We should not have to wait until after the 2021 election to have an earnest discussion about the future of our city. Let the people have a strong voice in this matter! We do not trust the police to serve and protect, we want change, we need to abolish there police and replace them with proven community based responses. We MUST change the charter to be able to make steps toward this, we need the opportunity to vote.

Sincerely, Near North Mpls Ward 5

7/25/2020 8:32:39 PM

Mr Floyd could have saved his own life by just listening to the officer’s instructions. He also could have been a law abiding citizen and that also would have saved his life. Quit placing blame on the wrong people or hold everyone responsible!

7/25/2020 8:56:00 PM

Dear Charter Commission, I urge you to let Minneapolis residents vote on the amendment about the MPD. The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

It’s time for a community-led process to create a system of true public safety. Let us vote.

Ward 11

7/25/2020 9:01:27 PM

The proposed City Council amendment to remove the Police Dept and create a Dept of Community Safety and Violence Prevention needs to be put on the ballot in Nov. It is an urgently needed mechanism that needs the public to weigh in, via their votes. Without this, I think many communities will see it as another delaying tactic, a lack of good faith in really wanting to change and create more equitable systems and policies.

While details about the new department are still vague, it hasn't been said loud enough and in enough places that communities and groups have been discussion these issues—this is not entirely new to those invested in it—and we need a coalescing move like the charter amendment, it is crucial to bring people together to actually start putting something into the works.

Ward 12 7/25/2020 9:04:29 PM

Time and time again, we have seen MPD act violently towards our Black, brown, and Native community members. We are at a reckoning right now in our nation's history. We must look back at the past of police officers coming from a legacy of slave catchers and see the egregious harm that they have perpetuated and continue to do so. I am advocating for more significant defunding of MPD than is currently proposed--it is obvious that funds that support policing of our communities can be much better spent on education, community initiatives, and organizers actively supporting Black, brown, and Native community members. I also strongly urge the Charter Commission to let the public vote on the future of MPD. We can and must create better solutions for safety that truly meet the needs of all Minneapolis residents, not just those who are white.

Ward 9

7/25/2020 9:25:10 PM

The people of Minneapolis deserve to share their views by voting on the charter amendment. The committee needs to allow us to vote democratically on this decision, and it is critical to be able to do so at this November election. The Minneapolis Police Department kills too many people each year for us to allow this important issue to wait. We cannot have another Philando Castile or George Floyd. We need to be allowed to vote to change the system.

Ward 2

7/25/2020 9:49:11 PM

While I support the defunding of MPD, it is not enough to defund the Minneapolis police department. Any police officers, peace officers, or safety officers employed by the City of Minneapolis should carry their own insurance, much like health care workers. This ensures that individuals have natural consequences to their actions and that the residents of Minneapolis don't have to pay out millions more in taxes to cover legal costs of police brutality suits. Minneapolis has paid out $25 million between 2003 and 2019 according to Bloomberg News. The effect of this is to funnel wealth from the working communities into the banks, the pockets of the wealthiest in this country, while allowing working communities to go without resources. Individual insurance is an integral part of the solution.

Please see https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-04/the-financial-toll-of-police-brutality- to-cities

Ward 2

7/25/2020 9:56:01 PM

To reimagine community safety & begin to seek justice for George Floyd and all other victims murdered at the hands of police, Minneapolis must change the charter. Let the system of democracy work as it should, and let the people decide for themselves seeing as how the commission is all white and does not accurately represent our community of color and our concerns.

Ward 4

7/25/2020 9:56:37 PM

Hello! I live on Mississippi River Blvd and recently learned that the City Council's proposed amendment to defund the MPD may not come to a vote, depending on what the Charter Commission recommends. The future of our police department must absolutely be decided through the democratic process. This is a decision only the voters of Minneapolis can make. I would consider smaller reforms or a different amendment proposed by the Commission unacceptable to our community standards and an insult to the people of Minneapolis. Thank you for your time.

Ward 3

7/25/2020 10:04:59 PM

I live in greater Minnesota, however I expect as Minneapolis hopes, so goes the state. I think the police,deserve a career as a peace officer. Not one that includes, social service, homeless shelter, mental illness and race relations. I think they need to have special training similar to nurse were the indivual can determine their level of education, which is tied to different levels of responsibility. They should also have some type of licensing test as a requirement. Most other professionals do, they should also.

7/25/2020 10:05:39 PM

7/25/2020 10:08:25 PM

It is profoundly important for our elected officials to listen to the voice of the people, now more than ever. Countless constituents have voiced their experiences with the Minneapolis Police Department and their ardent conviction that the police do not keep our community safe. The Council Commission must not stand in the way of the people’s will; this amendment must be allowed to be voted on. A new future is possible - please help us make it happen.

Ward 2

7/25/2020 11:52:38 PM

Dear Charter Commissioners,

I’m writing in strong support of the putting the city council’s charter amendment on the ballot this November.

Whatever our race or where we live in the city, we all want to move through our communities without fearing for our lives or our loved ones. But over and over the MPD fails to keep us safe.

The MPD murdered George Floyd in broad daylight, the latest brutal moment in 150 years of brutality towards Minneapolis’ Black, brown, and Indigenous residents. They act with impunity and no accountability, all while costing the city millions in misconduct settlements. It is your role to support good governance in the city. How is it good governance to continue to enshrine in the charter an institution so rotten? How is it good governance to delay acting, knowing how they terrorize and harm Black people?

Our democratically elected city council already voted unanimously to put this amendment before the people of Minneapolis. I was deeply concerned to hear some of you think it’s your role as appointed volunteers to bypass their plan and put your own amendment on the ballot.

I’m calling on you to respect our democratic right to determine what kind of city we live in, and to respect the urgent need to make deep, lasting changes to how we keep Minneapolis safe for everyone, no exceptions.

The people of the Minneapolis and the city council have done their job – now do yours. Let us vote.

Ward 8

7/26/2020 1:56:35 AM

I believe we should take steps to defund the police. Nobody in Minneapolis, or anywhere in the United States of America, should live in fear of a hyper-funded military force which does not have their interests in mind. As the taxpayers who fund a corrupt police force subsisting on a racist legacy, we demand the reappropriation of police funding into the social welfare services that are severely underfunded, including, most prevalently, mental health services, social welfare services, education, healthcare, and social programs which aim to eliminate the ever-growing wealth gap. The over-policing of predominantly black and brown neighborhoods—a vestige of Jim Crowe era practices and a product of surveillance capitalism—results in generational poverty and insurmountable social inequality. In order to honor the constitutional laws of our country, we absolutely must—as a city, a state, and a nation— not only uphold the promise of freedom and justice for all, but rewrite the historical legacies which rely on systemically racist factors. It is not enough to instill community boards to check the police when those same boards are made up of white folks with entrenched prejudices. It is not enough to require body cams when over one thousand Americans on average are being murdered by police (agents of the state) each year. With each supposedly-progressive amendment to policing, police shootings have not lessened in frequency or devastation. Non-white Americans are killed at disproportionate rates, and a federal database still does not exist to track and record these murders. Pledging to “do better” is completely meaningless: the police are actively agents of a system established without freedom and equality for Americans of color, and thus any agent of the state enforcing such laws will necessarily perpetuate a racial bias against minorities. In order to “do better,” Minneapolis must go further and truly do better—we must defund the Minneapolis Police Department.

Ward 5

7/26/2020 1:59:14 AM

I have been listening to my Black and Brown community members, and it is clear to me that we need to be able to vote on eliminating the MPD and creating a new Department of Community Safety. I demand that you center Black and Brown voices in your decisions. The MPD was created to terrorize these communities, and the department has done exactly that since its inception. I have heard far too many horror stories from community members of color who have been harassed and/or physically abused by Minneapolis police officers, and we have seen that reforms have not worked. Black and Brown people are still being murdered by the MPD. I believe that our neighbors of color will not see justice and safety until the MPD is eliminated and replaced with a Department of Community Safety. And reducing the number of MPD officers is not enough. We deserve to be able to vote this year on this decision instead of allowing unelected decision makers to determine the fate of the MPD. Thousands of people marched in Minneapolis for justice after George Floyde was murdered and are demanding a significant change to what public safety looks like in Minneapolis. Please listen to their voices and allow us to vote on eliminating the MPD.

7/26/2020 8:09:40 AM

Please stop. The city council is not the entity to oversee this large of an endeavor.

In fact, Taking away the police public information officer was just the beginning of how misguided they are regarding their responsibility.

Please just do the job you’re supposed to be doing.

Ward 3

7/26/2020 8:49:48 AM

Dear Charter Commission, I appreciate your swift work on this important amendment, especially since you are volunteers so you're doing this in addition to your other commitments. In brief, I favor the City Council's amendment over the Jul 20 Commission's proposal. Here's why: I understand your role to be providing consultation about the charter to help shape it as a document that guides the city on the decades timescale, not just for this current moment. So thinking about the long-term life of a city charter, I think that the Commission's Jul 20 proposed amendment addresses concerns about staffing minimums for the police department which gives the city more flexibility with the budget to respond to changes in the city's needs. However, it does not address concerns about who has control of the police department. While the mayor is an elected leader in our city, the mayor is single person who wins a majority of the votes of all Minneapolis. Recognizing that Minneapolis has several neighbourhoods each with its own needs and each with different levels of interactions with law enforcement, I'm supportive of having an elected GROUP, like the City Council, have control over the police. This way, there is a representative for the unique interests/viewpoints of each neighbourhood. For any statistics nerds on the Commission, I think of this as disaggregating the data when you've found that you have a multimodal distribution. Thanks for your time!

Ward 2

7/26/2020 9:03:55 AM

Please let Minneapolis residents decide for ourselves how to defund or abolish the police. We have shown over the last several months that we can take care of one another - whether it's neighbors making sure businesses and homes are safe from arson, feeding our homeless neighbors in the park, or otherwise looking out for each other's well-being - imagine what we can do with the codified support of our city's charter.

I support the city council's proposed ballot question. This is not a time for half-measures. Thanks,

Powderhorn Park

Ward 9

7/26/2020 9:06:56 AM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxx. I live near Loring Park in Minneapolis. I am a heterosexual, cisgender white man. My life has been minimally impacted by police violence, but nobody should need to feel endangered by people who are supposed to keep us safe. I am speaking up in this moment because people who are affected tell me they are being hurt. I hear the Council is still hesitant to approve a vote to amend the charter based on public comments. They should not be. If the charter amendment goes to a ballot vote, then that would be the truest measure of which way public support leans. Personally, I approve of the proposed amendments to reduce and transform the police department. Maybe I am not in agreement with a majority. None of us can really know unless that ballot vote happens. I urge the Council to allow the democratic process to make this decision. Thank you.

Ward 7

7/26/2020 9:19:52 AM

I support the charter commission moving the current language of the amendment to a ballot vote in November. The people of Minneapolis deserve the space to craft something better than policing, we can do it, but the charter can't stand in the way.

Ward 1

7/26/2020 9:37:21 AM

I love Minneapolis and believe that we have the strength to make a move towards a more just and anti- racist society through the inclusion of an amendment on the November ballot. Minneapolis voters should have the option to vote on an amendment that would remove MPD from the City Charter and allow us to move our resources into housing, violence prevention, deescalation, harm reduction, and the other tools that really keep us safe. We will not settle for a small reform or a different amendment - small reforms have been shown time and time again to be ineffective in keeping communities - especially communities of color - safe. Is the wrongful conviction of people not enough to suggest that a drastic shift is needed? Is the murder of many innocent people not enough? Please open your eyes to the white supremacy that is ever- present in our city and use your power to make a meaningful change that will keep your constituents safe.

Ward 10

7/26/2020 9:47:14 AM

Re: change the charter.

I kindly ask the charter commission to allow Minneapolis residents to vote. We are impacted by this decision and deserve the chance to make our voices heard about public safety.

Respectfully, Ward 2 7/26/2020 10:31:09 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decisionmakers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

Ward 3

7/26/2020 11:00:13 AM

I am an occupational therapist who works with young adults with disabilities. Many of my students have had scary encounters with police officers. They are confused at being told to trust police and also to be careful around police. I want them to live in a safer community that we as citizens get input in creating. Democracy matters - let voters decide the future of MPD. I want the amendment to remove MPD as a required department to got to the ballot as a first step in engaging citizens, especially communities of vulnerable folks like my students with disabilities, in how they imagine community it’s safety. It’s the Commission’s job to bring these amendments to a vote; not to decide for voters.

Ward 8

7/26/2020 11:27:04 AM

The Charter Commission appears to be representative of the business and upper class members of our community who don’t mind having a brutal repressive police force! I believe many of the current police calls do not need to be answered by armed responders! The charter should be modified to include funding for to create a public service department that provides all the services required by the community and requires stringent rules governing use of violence by its members!

Ward 10

7/26/2020 12:07:43 PM

I totally oppose the charter amendments submitted by the City Council. Instead of these global changes, proposed without adequate research, consideration or public input, the Council should be expending its efforts to (1) make the appropriate changes to the MPD, including minimizing the power of the police union and Kroll, (2) propose and enact new strict gun laws for the city (because the state legislature won't do it), and (3) assure that the disadvantaged in our community have adequate food, shelter and health coverage. Leaving us with inadequate police protection at any time and especially at this time is totally irresponsible. Ignoring the issue of guns is totally irresponsible. Leaving people desperate for the basic necessities of life is irresponsible. This is a Democratic, liberal city and our citizens want and expect the changes described above and any other changes that will improve our quality of life and justify the high taxes we pay for the privilege of living here.

Ward 7

7/26/2020 12:43:44 PM

I ask the Commission to allow this amendment to be put to a public vote. As citizens of this city, we have the right to vote on matters involving our safety and the safety of our neighbors. I am in support of the removal of the Police Department from our charter, and the creation of a Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department. With the world watching our city to see what steps we make following the killing of George Floyd, we cannot allow key decisions to be made behind closed doors - the people of this city must be allowed to vote on the future of our Police Department.

Ward 1

7/26/2020 12:47:24 PM

Hello,

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx. I am not a resident of Minneapolis, but I work in Minneapolis. I believe this is an incredible opportunity we have. It is not often that we have a space to create something new. New is hard for a lot of people, and that is okay. We have seen the harm that police have continually caused towards people of color, the mentally ill, and the poor. This function does not need to exist that capacity any longer. I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Political Organizer - in my experience and expertise, defunding the police department (at an absolute minimum) will help communities heal from the trauma they have experienced, and put energy and money into resources and reparations that are badly needed. I implore you to do something with your power. Create something new. Give the communities back their power to create what would work best for their community. We need to decenter white voices - we have only caused harm. Eliminating staffing levels is not enough, not nearly enough. The system is not changed, it is just understaffed. The culture still exists, the structure still exists. And that is the problem.

Thank you,

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/26/2020 12:50:16 PM

Minneapolis residents should be allowed to vote to change the charter and disband Minneapolis PD and redistribute funds to community safety in the November 2020 election.

Ward 10

7/26/2020 12:52:43 PM

City Council - you have an opportunity to reimagine community safety. WE have this opportunity. Please listen to the voices of your constituents, who understand that the current policing system makes community members LESS safe. No one should live in fear - and that's the way that so many people in Minneapolis (most notably Black, brown, and Indigenous community members, but other folks as well) feel on a day to day basis. Keep us safe. Give us someone to rely on. Put money into job training, after school programs for young people, healthy food, clean communities, and healthcare. We don't need poorly trained police offers patroling our streets. We need to take care of each other. Please let us vote on the matter.

Ward 4

7/26/2020 12:56:24 PM

I fully support this going to the ballot in the fall. If you want to hear the voices of the people, allowing them to vote on it is the best way.

Ward 4

7/26/2020 12:56:27 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and I’m a resident of Ward 12. I’m following back up having learned that you are proposing an alternative amendment.

I’m not sure what gives you, an unelected body, the authority to alter unanimous proposals from a democratically elected body. I reject your alternative amendment and join my voice with the thousands who have taken to the streets since the murder of George Floyd in OUR city.

LET US VOTE! We deserve the right to vote on the amendment OUR representatives unanimously passed. Get the original ballot on the ballot THIS NOVEMBER! We the people refuse to be held hostage by unelected bodies intent on suppressing our votes!

Ward 12

7/26/2020 12:58:22 PM

Hello,

I believe the charter amendment should be on the 2020 November ballot to be voted on by Minneapolis citizens. Voter turnout is expected to be high for this election, and a charter amendment should be considered by as.much of the electorate as possible. This is especially true of thi charter amendment, which proposes dramatic changes to public safety. The people should have a say, now not later.

I also do not support the amendment language proposed by the charter commission on July 20. This amendment does not propose significant enough change in my opinion. We already have more officers than is required by section 7.3c, meaning it has no impact on policing in this moment. It also does not address the issues I want addressed, which is police violence, over policing of minorities, and lack of police accountability. I believe The amendment proposed by the city council on June 26 should be referred to voters in November. It suggests systemic changes in public safety that should help all people feel safe, including minorities.

Thank you.

Ward 9

7/26/2020 1:01:09 PM

I write to express my strong disapproval of the proposed amendment to the city charter to allow “defunding” the police department.

This action would, I think, be a rash and ill-considered gamble with the safety of the people of Minneapolis. I find if particularly alarming that the proposed public safety department would “optionally” include a police force. As the recent spate of violence in the city has demonstrated, a police force is not optional.

I urge that the charter not be amended.

Ward 1

7/26/2020 1:13:48 PM

I am against the City Council proposed amendment, and feel more aligned with the Charter Commission amendment. The City Council should NOT be in charge of the City's public safety. As a resident of the 3rd Precinct I feel we need a police department that is responsive to the community's needs, yet that can "serve and protect with compassion." Removing it from the City Charter completely does little for the residents of Minneapolis. However, I agree with 7.3(b), Division of Law Enforcement Services. Resetting (or affirming) the priorities of public safety department should not require a wholesale removal of that department. It is not the City Charter that needs amending, it is the oversight, rules and regulations of the police department that needs amendment.

Ward 12

7/26/2020 1:15:21 PM

Over the past month and a half since George Floyd was murdered, thousands of people throughout Minneapolis have shown up to demand police abolition. We have done this despite the risks to our health presented by the pandemic. We, the people of Minneapolis, deserve the right to vote on the city charter this November. The fate of our city should be determined by voters, not by the unelected charter commission. We want to vote this year on an amendment that removes the requirement for a police department. We will not settle for smaller reforms.

Ward 11

7/26/2020 1:31:49 PM

I do NOT support the July 20th Charter Commission proposal. It is my belief, through years of observation, that MPD is beyond reform and should be disband. Remove MPD from the city charter completely and reallocate those funds to areas that will strengthen, support, and uplift the community. Thank you for your time.

Ward 9

7/26/2020 1:39:12 PM

I’ve lived in the 8th Ward for 21 years and in that time I’ve seen the neighborhoods change a lot, the one constant has been a feeling that the Police weren’t really watching out for us, more that they were watching us.

The roots of modern police lie in institutions created to hunt escaped slaves and Indigenous people, and to protect the property of the enfranchised classes. Supplying police with military equipment and so- called ‘warrior training” has resulted in an adversarial dynamic where the police see themselves as a “thin blue line” between civilization and anarchy.

They treat us not as the citizens they are tasked to protect and serve but as a hostile population that must be subjugated and controlled.

In the words of Dr King, “A riot is the language of the unheard”, bring this to a vote, give us our voice and let the people decide.

Ward 8

7/26/2020 1:57:12 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, and I am a resident of Minneapolis. I support divestment from police and reinvestment in our communities, and I am calling on the Charter Commission to let the people vote on the charter amendment. Over-policing and police violence have destroyed Black, brown and Indigenous communities while failing to keep us safe. Voters like me should have a role in determining the future of public safety in our city, because we know best what will allow all our neighborhoods to really thrive.

Ward 7

7/26/2020 2:04:19 PM

When I see a police car driving by, my first reaction not relief that my neighborhood is safe. Instead, it puts me on edge, wondering how long it will take until someone else is killed in police custody again.

This has to stop. I support allowing citizens to vote on the City Council's amendment to change the Minneapolis Charter. We need a new structure that is more responsive to the actual safety needs of our city and people. The Council's full amendment would give the Charter the flexibility to start a new Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention, replacing the current MPD and minimum staffing requirements.

We can create a Minneapolis that listens to its citizens before unelected officials. We can create a Minneapolis that guards the safety all its citizens.

Ward 11

7/26/2020 2:47:42 PM

Dear Charter Commission,

Minneapolis citizens need to vote on an amendment to remove the Minneapolis Police Department from our charter. The murder of Mr. Floyd demonstrated that the MPD does not serve or protect anyone in our community. The police reaction to the protests against police brutality only further solidified that fact. Now, we as citizens want to be able to dictate the future of the safety of our community through more appropriate means than an armed police force, a Department of Community Safety. For years, every time police intervened in my neighborhood of Northeast Minneapolis, I automatically monitored the scene. I kept my phone handy, because I never trusted that the officer(s) would respond properly to a situation. My taxes already pay those salaries (and civil suit settlements), I shouldn't also have to keep watch. Yet, I do. We have the momentum to make lasting changes that benefit our city, specifically our neighbors or color. We must be allowed to capitalize on that momentum.

Give us the power to decide how we are or are not policed.

Thank you

Ward 1

7/26/2020 2:52:54 PM

Protect your citizens and defund MPD! You know it is the right thing to invest in our communities and to protect its citizens from violence. Black lives matter, and you must show that through your policies!

Ward 6

7/26/2020 2:57:59 PM abolish the police and put the funds into safe education, housing for all, food, crime prevention research, mental health services, and healthcare

Ward 13

7/26/2020 3:07:53 PM

Thousands of people took to the streets demanding change to MPD just weeks ago, we're ready to vote for that change now. The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through voting, we will no longer defer to unelected officials with special interests. We want to remove MPD from the charter and form a Department of Community Safety. We know police reform doesn't work, we want to create safety. We need lasting change that will outlast city officials and the charter is the best way to do that.

Ward 10

7/26/2020 3:11:33 PM

Minneapolis Charter Commission,

Thank you again for your work as a Commission. I previously submitted a comment stating my strong support for putting the City Council proposed Charter Amendment on our ballot in November. I am writing again to reiterate my previous comment and ask you to approve the Charter Amendment unanimously proposed by our elected officials – the City Council.

Unfortunately, the Charter Commission has now proposed its own Charter Amendment which makes almost no changes to the section of the Charter regarding the Minneapolis Police Department. The only change would be to remove the minimum funding requirements of the Police Force. This Amendment as proposed by the Charter Commission is entirely inadequate. The Minneapolis Police Department as an institution has perpetuated violence and mass incarceration against Black people in our City. This has been true for decades and the public murder of George Floyd and subsequent uprising has underlined this point. We the people of Minneapolis deserve a chance to vote on the City Council’s proposal to begin the process of building a better anti-racist system of public safety and violence prevention in our City. The current Charter language and the Charter Amendment proposed by the Charter Commission would impede our ability to do so through our elected officials on the City Council. Since the impact of that has fallen most harshly on Black people - we deserve a chance to vote that language out of the charter. The future of the MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not through unelected decision makers. We want to vote in November 2020 on the City Council’s Charter Amendment to remove the MPD from the Charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We don’t want to settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Charter Commission. Please support expedited approval of the Charter Amendment language as unanimously proposed by the City Council so that Minneapolitans can exercise their voice on this most important issue in the upcoming November election. Thanks for your time and consideration of this matter, Ward 13 7/26/2020 3:18:31 PM

The health and safety of our city will be dramatically increased when the Minneapolis Police Department shrinks and allows other community support systems to grow. Police reform is simply not enough. The police system is operating just as it was intended - to uphold white supremacy, capitalism, and patriarchy. It needs to be completely reimagined and replaced. . . not reformed. I'm a Minneapolis small business owner and resident who is strongly supports defunding the MPD. Ward 10 7/26/2020 3:31:57 PM

Let us vote on the Charter Amendment! Minneapolis citizens should have a chance to vote in November on whether or not we want to change the Minneapolis City Charter-- this decision should not be up to an unelected body of commission members. The future of the MPD should be up to the residents of Minneapolis through democratic process. If we want to truly enact real change in this city, we must move forward with changing the Charter, and not just small internal reforms.

Ward 10

7/26/2020 3:35:02 PM

I'm writing in support of the charter amendment submitted to the commission by the Minneapolis City Council. This proposed amendment gives us a clear road to meaningful changes in the way we address public safety in the city. Please allow the city council's version of the charter amendment to be placed on the ballot in November. Thank you.

Ward 12 7/26/2020 3:37:05 PM

I have reviewed the Charter Commission's proposed amendment to the city charter and am disappointed that the voices of residents have not been listened to.

In the 150-year- history of the Mpls police dept, no oversight committee nor agency has been able to sway the police away from its role in harrassing and brutalizing Black and brown community members.

We are an innovative city and innovative people and can come up with a model that is much more equitable to everyone who lives here.

Please accept the City Council's proposed charter amendment and LET US VOTE!

Ward 13

7/26/2020 3:38:02 PM

Thousands of Minneapolis citizens took to the streets during the uprising after Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd to DEMAND a change to the MPD now. We are ready to vote for this, this year. The future of the department should be up to the voters of Minneapolis, not the unelected, largely unknown decision makers. We want to vote on this amendment because we want community-led safety. We will not settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment. I have had largely unpleasant interactions with the MPD where they are extremely unhelpful. I work at a birth center and in calling for EMS, 8 cops showed up, not one of them who could assist with the newborn emergency we were experiencing. My roommate and I (both female) had a "peeping Tom" in our neighborhood. The police came and did absolutely nothing, didn't even provide any reassurance or comfort. My roommate is still traumatized by that experience. I don't have confidence in the MPD as it exists now. I want to have a department of public safety that centers safety in all forms (safe schools, safe homes, safe food access, safe healthcare). We need LONG LASTING change that will out live one city council or one mayor or one charter commission, The charter can be a tool for lasting, innovative, and profound transformation in how we do community safety- it is up to voters to decide.

Thank you

Ward 2

7/26/2020 4:11:13 PM

The charter commission has a moral obligation to make sure the charter amendment is able to come up for a vote this election cycle. We cannot wait because there cannot be more Police murders.

Ward 6

7/26/2020 4:17:45 PM

We do not agree with the plan to defund or abolish the Mpls. Police Department.

It is too early after the riots without trying alternative plans.

The city council rush to put this forward is a bad plan. They expect us to just trust them as they say “maybe” we’ll do this or that or the other thing. We absolutely DO NOT feel the city council should have more power. Their track record to just fiddle with policies & not deal with large plans is disingenuous. This includes “20 mph is plenty” without any enforcement added. Plus bike trails & cutting out roads for traffic to make Mpls. Car free.

Thank you

Ward 12

7/26/2020 4:20:17 PM

I strongly support the right and opportunity for Minneapolis residents to vote on the charter regarding minimum policing in he sity.

Ward 8

7/26/2020 4:40:42 PM

Please let the community vote on this if you care about this city and the people in it.

Ward 12

7/26/2020 4:41:07 PM

Thousands took the streets earlier this year to demand not only a change to the MPD but to create lasting change in how our city approaches public safety. The voters should be the ones to determine the future of the MPD through the democratic process and not by unelected decision makers. I want to vote on the amendment to REMOVE the MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. I will not settle for smaller changed reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

We need change that can last beyond the current city council and mayor to ensure a lasting and profound transformation in how we keep our community safe. This should be decided on by the voters.

In all my interactions with the police, I found many lovely people but not much else. I dont find that they have kept me safe. When I was in a car accident stranded in the middle of an intersection late at night - they refused to write a police report and drove off leaving me alone in the cold (not even waiting for the tow truck to arrive or watching out for oncoming traffic). When my partner and I call to ask for a wellness check on citizens who may be inebriated or having a medical or mental health episode - very little empathy is shown and most often police officers respond rather than medical personnel. When the Head of the Police Union prioritizes jobs over justice. In none of these situations do I find that the police have prioritized the health, safety and welfare of the community, rather protecting themselves first. Let us vote to decide what type of community safety we want for our future.

Ward 7

7/26/2020 4:42:08 PM

Dear Commissioners,

It is folly to put to a vote both a change in how public safety is governed and how it will be performed. While the current charter required a proportional number of police officers based on population the proposed open ended system without definition may require more or less police officers for the city. We do not know who will accompany community responders, how many community responders there will be, how the will communicate to receive back up from police officers, what areas will be covered by these responders physically as well as professionally. Until a real alternative can be proposed the current charter provision is worthy of being kept in place.

Sincerely,

Ward 11

7/26/2020 4:42:50 PM

Change is never an easy process, but change now in Minneapolis is necessary. As Charter council members you have a duty to not impede change. The very makeup of the Charter council members not reflecting the diversity of Minneapolis itself, should be a huge red flag to all of you. Policing in Minneapolis is broken and all the attempts at reform have not changed this fact. We must begin to approach public safety in new ways as many othercother have successfully reimagined public safety. As a Minneapolis voter, I urge the Charter Commission to do the right thing and not stand in the way of change. Please ensure Minneapolis citizens are able to allow their voices to be heard by ensuring a charter change is on the ballot. Thank you

Ward 7

7/26/2020 4:46:53 PM

To whom it may concern,

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, resident of Minneapolis MN, and I am ready to vote on the future of the Minneapolis Police Department.

Thousands of people took to the streets in the uprising, and people across the city are demanding a change to the MPD now. We’re ready to vote this year.

We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. We need change that will last beyond any one City Council or Mayor. The charter can be a tool for lasting, profound transformation in how we do community safety - and it’s up to voters to shape that change.

My vision for the future is every single person feeling like their city wants to keep them safe, in various situations. The MPD is not doing this and cannot do this. They cannot be a catch all. It is simply not possible.

Thank you,

Ward 4

7/26/2020 4:47:21 PM

To whom it may concern,

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, resident of Minneapolis MN, and I am ready to vote on the future of the Minneapolis Police Department.

Thousands of people took to the streets in the uprising, and people across the city are demanding a change to the MPD now. We’re ready to vote this year.

Thank you,

Ward 4

7/26/2020 4:53:34 PM

Hello, my name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and I am writing to urge you to not put the Charter Commission's modified amendment on the ballot. Keep the City Council's original amendment and place that on the ballot instead. The modified amendment fails to address the problems that the original version seeks to fix. Let us vote on the amendment that the our elected council created.

Ward 3

7/26/2020 4:53:55 PM

Thank you again for your work as a Commission. I am in strong support for putting the City Council proposed Charter Amendment on our ballot in November. I am writing again to ask you to approve the Charter Amendment unanimously proposed by our elected officials – the City Council.

The Minneapolis Police Department as an institution has perpetuated violence and mass incarceration against Black people in our City. This has been true for decades and the public murder of George Floyd and subsequent uprising has underlined this point. We the people of Minneapolis deserve a chance to vote on the City Council’s proposal to begin the process of building a better anti-racist system of public safety and violence prevention in our City. The current Charter language and the Charter Amendment proposed by the Charter Commission would impede our ability to do so through our elected officials on the City Council. Since the impact of that has fallen most harshly on Black people - we deserve a chance to vote that language out of the charter.

The future of the MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not through unelected decision makers. We want to vote in November 2020 on the City Council’s Charter Amendment to remove the MPD from the Charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We don’t want to settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Charter Commission.

Please support expedited approval of the Charter Amendment language as unanimously proposed by the City Council so that Minneapolis residence can exercise their voice on this most important issue in the upcoming November election.

Thanks for your time and consideration of this matter,

Ward 13

7/26/2020 4:55:47 PM

I don't reside in Minneapolis, but lived there for several years and now reside nearby in Brooklyn Center. Please allow Minneapolis voters to decide on this issue. There has been too much physical and systemic violence entrenched in our police department. We need massive change

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/26/2020 4:55:55 PM

Dear Commissioners,

I live in Minneapolis in the Bancroft Neighborhood. I am also a teacher in Minneapolis. I love Minneapolis and want all my fellow community members and my students to feel as safe and welcome as I do. My son will grew up in Minneapolis. We need to change the charter so that the substantial changes our community needs and is asking for can move forward even if the city council changes. I want to have the opportunity to vote on the charter amendment proposed by the city council that creates a Community Safety and Violence Prevention Department.

Please approve the city council's version of the charter amendment. The residents of Minneapolis must have the opportunity to vote on the future of public safety in our city.

Thank you,

Ward 8

7/26/2020 5:02:21 PM

The people of Minneapolis should be allowed to vote on the amendment that was proposed by the City Council, not the the amendment that was proposed by the Charter Commission. As unelected officials, the Charter Commission should not dictate the terms of the amendment. To use the Charter Commission's proposed amendment would be undemocratic.

Ward 1 7/26/2020 6:01:04 PM

Please see attached letter containing comments on the Proposed Amendment to the City Charter. Thank you.

Attachment:

July 26, 2020

Re: Comments on Charter Amendment to Dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department

Dear Charter Commissioners:

We, the undersigned, respectfully submit that the prudent and responsible course of action for this Commission, in regard to the Charter Amendment to eliminate the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), is to decline to support the Minneapolis City Council’s request to place the Amendment on the ballot in November.

The change requested by the City Council is a material change that strikes at heart of infrastructure and public safety in this city, but it is void of any detailed plans or a detailed roadmap of what an alternative public safety plan would look like. Residents cannot be asked to make an informed decision without the facts and details. That is why we implore the Commission to send the message back to the City Council that it will not support a Charter Amendment abolishing the MPD being placed on the ballot this year because no alternative replacement plan exists upon which residents can make an informed decision. To do otherwise is a premature and dangerous course of action.

Police departments came about historically because locally maintained systems of volunteer neighborhood watch persons proved ineffective in detecting and preventing crime. A police force should be a professionally trained and centrally organized group for the maintenance of social order, protection of all people and a visible deterrent to crime and disorder. Proponents of an, as yet, undefined alternative plan need to demonstrate, for residents, how their plan will accomplish this for everyone in every neighborhood in the City of Minneapolis. So far, the Council has not done this.

We are already seeing significant increases in crime all across the city and, in particular, in areas with previously low crime rates because of the decreased number of police available. We are seeing gangs, drug dealers, men with handguns and assault rifles, and thieves feeling empowered to enter new neighborhoods and emboldened to commit violent crimes in areas they dared not do so before out of fear of being caught. In other areas of the city, innocent children are being shot and killed or severely injured. This new empowerment undoubtedly comes from the fact that they know the police are short- staffed. This is merely a glimpse of the crumbling of public safety that will occur if the MPD is dismantled and replaced by social workers, dispute or conflict resolution experts and self-appointed defenders taking the law into their own hands. Dismantling the MPD at a time when crime is so high and no proven alternative exists, will even further decrease public safety for everyone and cause people to take matters into their own hands, which would be a dangerous outcome.

Moreover, the City Council has unequivocally stated its intent to conduct community engagement meetings to determine and inform the design of its new plan. The Commission should, therefore, require the City Council to hold these engagement meetings and present the resulting detailed plans before the Amendment proposal is considered or supported by the Commission for placement on the ballot. So too, the Minnesota Legislature, the Minneapolis Mayor and the MPD need time to work on their reform plans and need to have an opportunity to

present them to the Minneapolis residents as well. These two proposals should be presented, discussed and fully debated before residents must go to the polls to vote to on whether to approve a change to the City’s Charter. Residents have a right to expect that they will be afforded an opportunity to consider all options and understand the full picture before being asked to vote on such a critical change to Minneapolis’ public safety infrastructure. There simply is no time for this to happen before election day.

This is a critical time and step for our city. The process should not be rushed or corners cut just to place this on the ballot in November when emotions, and not reasoning, are running high. The City Council had two years in which to develop its plan to dismantle the MPD. It did not do so and now wishes to rush an amendment through at the last minute in hopes that emotion will carry the day and details will not be demanded. This is extremely dangerous and a disservice to all Minneapolis residents. The Commission should not act in lock-step with the City Council because it fears additional unrest if an Amendment does not appear on the ballot. This is the single most significant Charter Amendment request to face our city in years and we cannot be reckless, emotional or reactive. The process must be done thoroughly and methodically in a way that everyone has an opportunity to become informed prior to casting their vote. Failure to take the time to get this right will destroy the City of Minneapolis now and into the future.

Finally, with respect to the Second Proposal to Change the City Charter (Second Proposal), the ultimate effect of the change in striking out the “Funding” section is the same as that of the First Proposal to Change the City Charter. The change would allow the City Council to simply not fund the MPD and, in that way, effectively dismantle it. Accordingly, the undersigned further do not support this Second Proposal appearing on the upcoming election ballot for all of the reasons stated above.

The very limited time until November is inadequate in order to complete the work that needs to be done prior to voting on changing the City Charter. Therefore, we respectfully ask the Commission to decline to support the City Council’s request to place the First Proposal to Change the City Charter on the ballot in November. And, furthermore, we ask the Commission to abandon its own efforts to place the Second Proposal on the ballot in November.

Thank you for your consideration of our comments.

Respectfully submitted,

Xxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxx

Ward 3

7/26/2020 6:05:41 PM

The latest proposed amendment by the Charter Commission does not go far enough to reform public safety in Minneapolis. It is a distraction and will only muddy the waters if it is put to a vote along with the City Council's proposed amendment. We, the citizens of Minneapolis, voted for our city counselors. We did not vote for members of the Charter Commission. Our city counselors spoke for us and advanced an amendment that provides a real opportunity for progress. I urge you to let us vote on that original amendment.

Ward 6

7/26/2020 6:26:29 PM

We want the opportunity to vote in the November 2020 election. We want to remove the police department as it is today, and start over.

Ward 12

7/26/2020 6:43:10 PM

Please let Minneapolis citizens vote on this amendment. We have a right to be a part of decisions made for our communities. Minneapolis Police have pressured me not to request a report be filed regarding an assault. I want to be able to vote on this amendment. Thank you.

Ward 5

7/26/2020 6:50:14 PM

The people have the right to vote on what they want for this city. Let the people decide if they want the police department. Withholding a vote is to withhold democracy. An unelected commission shouldn't decide what the city can/can not vote on. Who are you protecting when you deny citizens the right to vote on what they want for their communities? Who are you serving? I'm on the side of the people, black liberation, radical healing, and restorative work. I'm writing today to ask you to join me.

Ward 8

7/26/2020 6:52:34 PM

It is absurd that the people of Minneapolis are given no say in our future. Why are we putting the fate of this city in the hands of an unelected council? The people of Minneapolis are ready the dismantle the MPD and remove their presence from our public lives.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won't settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

We need change that will last beyond one city council or mayor. We deserve a representative committee that will reflect the wants and needs of the people of Minneapolis.

The MPD has, time and again, proven not only to be uninvested in the well-being of the city, but also actively against its citizens. Change needs to happen, and must be decided by the citizens' democratic voice, not a committee of appointees.

Ward 5

7/26/2020 6:55:03 PM

It is deeply important to myself, along with many other Minneapolis residents, that we get a chance to vote on the changes to the city charter regarding the police. Thousands of us have protested against the racist abuses of the Minneapolis police force, not just this summer but for the abuses which have been taking place for years. We deserve to have our voices democratically represented.

Ward 1

7/26/2020 7:01:13 PM

The Council's proposed amendment more directly addresses the problems with the current structure of MPD, and should be adopted instead of the Commission's proposed amendment. The Council should have more oversight over the functioning of the police department instead of the Mayor.

Ward 6

7/26/2020 7:02:39 PM

To the Charter Commission,

For months now we have taken to the streets in order to have our voices heard and to demand changes to the MPD. This year, we are ready to vote on these issues. The future of the MPD and its existence should be determined by the people of Minneapolis. The voters of Minneapolis should be aloud to create change though the democratic process, not through unelected decisionmakers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove the MPD from the charter. Minneapolis voters will not rest or settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the commission. We need large and long lasting change, change that will last beyond one city council or mayor. This charter can be a tool for lasting, profound change in how we do public safety- it's up to the voters, not unelected officials, to shape that change.

Ward 3

7/26/2020 7:10:31 PM

As a resident of Prospect Park and the 2nd Ward in Minneapolis, I would like to strongly urge that our city place this proposed Charter Amendment on our ballot for November. The implications of these systemic changes will affect all of us as residents of this city, and we should have a say in how this is done and the steps to move forward. Please do the right thing and let the citizens of Minneapolis vote on this.

Ward 2

7/26/2020 7:15:30 PM

Hello,

As a resident of South Minneapolis and a concerned member of this community, I just wanted to say that we the people should be able to vote as to whether or not we want a police department in this city and what we want it to look like. We took to the streets to demand change and accountability and we do not want to live in fear for ourselves and our neighbors any longer. It’s so important that the City Council listens to their constituents as we push for meaningful change. It is more clear than ever that Minneapolis Police Dept does not make this city safer and I encourage you to let the residents who live here vote and decide how the police department should look. Thank you.

Ward 12 7/26/2020 7:16:51 PM

Hello,

I believe we should be allowed to vote on changing the the charter so that we can democratically decide what to do about the MPD this year. The people should be allowed to vote on dismantling the MPD and creating a new Department of Public Safety. Thousands of people have taken to the streets during a pandemic to voice that the MPD is not the community's idea of a public safety agency. This has reverberated around the globe, challenging peoples long held notions of policing and revealing it as the violent and racist institution it is. The time to act is now and this is a decision to be made by the people, not by unelected bureaucrats.

Ward 12

7/26/2020 7:17:06 PM

ABOLISH THE POLICE. Any upholding for the current police state we have now is despicable. We need to dismantle this white supremacist bullshit. LISTEN to your constituents. THIS IS WHAT WE WANT.

ACAB. BLM.

Ward 6

7/26/2020 7:17:43 PM

Dear Charter Commission:

I am ONLY interested in voting on the amendment proposed by the City Council to REMOVE the Minneapolis Police Department as a city department. Please do not move forward with the proposed amendment to only eliminate the minimum funding requirement for MPD.

The voters of Minneapolis elected our City Council members to speak for us and act on our behalf. I did not vote for the Charter Commission and its members do not speak for me. Please restore and approve the charter amendment to remove MPD as a city department--this is what my City Councilmember voted for, and it's what I want to vote on in November too.

Sincerely,

Ward 11

7/26/2020 7:21:22 PM

As a pediatric nurse who lives and works in South Minneapolis, I am very concerned about the safety of my community and the children who I care for. It is my democratic right to be able to vote on whether to remove the Minneapolis Police Department from the Charter. Please let me have that right fully, before you decide on smaller police "reforms" or amendments on my behalf. Let me have my voice. l believe that we can create a city in which we have emergency personnel who only help and do not hurt our children and our communities.

Thank you,

Ward 9 7/26/2020 7:27:25 PM

I do not believe the charter commission’s proposed amendment goes far enough and the public should be allowed to vote on the original city council amendment to remove the police department not just abolish minimums. Now is not the time for half measures. And the people of Minneapolis should have their voices heard.

Ward 8

7/26/2020 7:33:39 PM

The public is ready to vote on a charter amendment this November, and I hope that you don't hold up the process. This has happened in the past, and the thousands of people taking to the streets to protest the MPD have shown that we are ready to take real action this year. We want to vote on the charter language which removes MPD from the charter and creates a new Department of Community Safety. Smaller reforms proposed by the charter commission are unacceptable, and NOT what the public wants. Give citizens the power they deserve to have in choosing how WE want to be protected in the city of Minneapolis. You are not elected officials and you do not represent the public's interest. To reiterate, I support a charter amendment which eliminates the requirement for a police department.

Ward 2

7/26/2020 7:42:13 PM

I support the City Council's proposed amendment. The MPD should not be a part of Minneapolis' public safety future. It is my position that MPD does little to improve unsafe situations in our communities or worse, they render unsafe situations even more unsafe. Citizens should not expect a large city department to kill fellow citizens.

Moreover, reforming the department seems unlikely as they have been hostile to already instituted reforms. The MPD is a city department that should no longer exist.

While the Charter Commission's amendment accomplishes a portion of the Council's proposed amendment, it is unclear to me why they have offered their version aside from political motivation. I call on the Charter Commission to pass the City Council's proposed amendment on to the voters this year 2020. Let the people vote on the amendment drafted by elected officials.

Ward 10

7/26/2020 7:55:34 PM

I've watched the public hearings thus far and am deeply discouraged by the charter commission, an unelected body, being very reluctant to listen to the majority of people commenting. It's not the commission's job to propose amendments to the charter. That's the council's job and they have done so unanimously based on constituent feedback. If the commission wants to do the council's job they should run for office instead of trying to put forth their own agenda against the will of the people. It's disheartening to watch local politics play out in such a deeply undemocratic way.

Put forth the original amendment to the people and let them vote! We have spoken and it's time for leaders, even unelected leaders, to listen! The amendment is a good one, giving some power over the police back to the people. The charter commission's amendment will not do that. It is weak by design. The original amendment allows for much more flexibility and makes it possible for our city to start to heal itself.

If the commission stands in the way of progress, they along with the mayor and MPD, will be fully responsible for the next death at the hands of police. Do your jobs, let the people vote.

Ward 3

7/26/2020 7:55:59 PM

Dear city council and CM Bender,

I understand that you are proposing a new charter amendment that only removes the minimum Officer requirement for the MPD. While I do think that is a rule that should change, MUCH more is needed.

I live in Whittier, and I can say that, as a white child, I was taught that police were friendly and would help me if I was lost and scared. But the police and National guard that came through Whittier and other parts of our city during the curfew following the murder of George Floyd did NOT make me feel safe. Instead, I was much more frightened of being shot with a rubber bullet or gas canisters by police during the curfew than I was of any protestors, despite the fact that my local post office on Lake Street is the one that burned, and was still smoldering the next day when I showed up for the community clean up.

The truth is, the recent police and military occupation of my neighborhood finally made me realize and acknowledge what Black and POCI folks have been saying:

Our community knows how to care for each other.

MPD is not part of our community.

MPD is made of outsiders who would rather hurt us than admit they might be wrong.

MPD sees peaceful protest by black and brown bodies as a threat and is willing to escalate with violence in order to control them.

MPD does not know how to de-escalate, or they choose not to.

MPD shoots first and asks questions later (if they ask at all).

We NEED to do more. We need to rebuild from the ground up.

Please fight for us. We should not be paying a whole department of violent (or violence-enabling) cronies to terrorize us. This is not the future I want. This is not the PRESENT I want. We have the power to fire MPD and start over. Let’s use it.

Thank you.

Whittier

Ward 10

7/26/2020 7:59:33 PM

I am calling for a vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new department of community safety. With thousands of my Minneapolis neighbors, I have taken to the streets to protest for change in policing. Our community is ready to rethink public safety, and we will not settle for a bandaid or smaller reforms. Reforms have not worked. We need real change that is lasting. The charter can bring the lasting and transformative change that we need. This decision should be up to the Minneapolis community, the voters, not unelected decision makers. This decision should be up to the people who have been— and continue to be— affected by the MPD day in and day out. As a white woman with economic privilege, I have not had many direct interactions with the police but I have come into contact with too many community members from oppressed groups who have had negative experiences with the police. Some have been lethal, many have been traumatizing. As a therapist, I have worked with children scared of the MPD. Children who have been woken up to unauthorized and dangerous conduct, such as breaking down the front door, yelling at, and pushing parents after receiving an erroneous tip. How can we teach our children the meaning of safety, community, home ... when the force that is supposedly meant to ensure and protect these very things is a threat? Voters deserve the opportunity to determine the future of public safety through democratic process.

Ward 10

7/26/2020 8:16:56 PM

I am a Pastor, a 12 year ward 9 resident, and I worked in Minneapolis Public Schools.

The Minneapolis Police are out of control in South Minneapolis. They pulled up guns out and held me (I'm white and 36) and 2 black teenagers at gun point in front of my house during the protests. They accused us of smoking weed. Which we weren't. They were out there to terrorize black teens and I just happen to be standing there. They slashed my bike tires.

Last week, an older woman was accosted at the end of our block by middle schoolers. And our neighbors didn't trust the MPD to de-escalate the situation. So instead of calling the police, a diverse group of citizens and neighbors ran after the kids and chased them out of our neighborhood.

We should be able to trust that when we call the police that a non-racist, culturally competent, de- escalator will come. But we can't. So we need a new system.

Please allow us to vote on the new charter commission.

I am tired of trying to reform a broken system. When I call 911 I want one of our amazing Minneapolis social worker, nurses, fire department, EMTs, and counselors.

And we can have a small force of violence prevention...but we don't need a century old document telling us how to keep our 21st century diverse city safe.

Ward 9

7/26/2020 8:17:00 PM

Everyone agrees that there needs to be reforms made to the current police structure in this city. The right and best way to do this is giving the citizens the opportunity to voice their opinions. I understand the sense of urgency from some folks but rushing this through to the ballot this November isn't the way to make substantial change. We simply can't vote for a plan that doesn't exist yet or hasn't been developed or properly vetted. Get public input, then work on developing a plan that the citizens can get behind and support and then we'll be much more supportive of changing the charter.

Asking folks to just trust us, we'll come up with a good public safety plan that "may or may not include police" is not good enough. The city is already dealing with violence at levels not seen in decades. Show us you can do something about what's in front of you. Or...how about put some energy in helping all the small businesses that were affected by the recent riots that are still asking for help. Maybe act like you remotely care about making the city a good place to visit, live in, and do business in and then we'll trust this city council with our public safety decisions. This city has been on the upswing in recent years which has led to more businesses and people choosing to come to Minneapolis. Don’t screw this up and undo what has took years to accomplish.

Ward 3

7/26/2020 8:31:19 PM

Hello,

I am writing to remind members of the Charter Commission that your job is to evaluate whether a proposed amendment to the City charter meets the requirements of the process. It is not your job to wade into political decision-making by proposing your own version of an amendment--no matter what Charter members feel, think, or believe. The citizens of Minneapolis deserve an opportunity to vote on whether we, as a City, want to continue to be obligated to fund the Minneapolis Police Department. Unless you have a procedural suggestion to be passed along to the Minneapolis City Council, you should step back from trying to mediate this democratic process. Your members are unelected and unrepresentative. Your actions, however, are now being watched by many and if you insist on playing politics where you should not be, then please know your members shall come under political and public scrutiny.

Ward 10

7/26/2020 8:35:37 PM

The council has done there job writing their amendment to the charter. The members were elected by the citizens of Minneapolis. I can't understand the justification for the charter commission to compose a different amendment. Our representatives in the council have responded to the now very clear and fundamental problems with the current system of safety and law enforcement, and worked promptly so that the proposal could be on the ballot this year. We the voters have a right to decide on this. Delaying or replacing the proposal smacks of political resistance on the part of the commission, which I don't believe is a proper function of the commission.

Ward 1

7/26/2020 8:37:41 PM

Ward 2

7/26/2020 8:48:10 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxx. I am a resident of ward 12 in South Minneapolis

I am demanding that the charter commission Let us Vote.

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers. The amount of people that have written and called in about the charter is a signal that the people need to vote.

We need to have the right to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

We are looking for lasting change. Change that will go beyond one city council or mayor. The charter should be a tool for profound transformation in how we do community safety and it's up to the the voters to shape that change.

Let us vote.

Best

Ward 12

7/26/2020 8:53:07 PM

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Ward 12 reside in Standish Neighborhood. Let us Vote.

Let us vote, Let us vote, Let us vote.

Thank you,

Ward 12 7/26/2020 8:59:38 PM

Thousands took to the street in protest to demand the removal of MPD. The future of the Minneapolis Police Department should be decided by the Minneapolis residents, the people directly affected by this decision, and not a council. Removal of the MPD and the creation of a new community safety department is what is necessary to create change. We, the people, need change that will last past the current mayor or council.

Ward 1

7/26/2020 9:10:47 PM

Hello,

I am a white woman living in Calhoun-Isles. I have been a citizen of Minneapolis for my entire life and want to actively participate in my city’s decisions. By listening to the people of Minneapolis, you will be able to start creating a city-wide community that has every residents best interests in mind, which is not what we have now. In order to do this, you must allow the people to vote and not default to the opinions of an unelected group. Let the citizens share their voices through democracy and put the proposed charter amendments on the ballot for the Minneapolis voters in November.

Thank you.

Ward 7

7/26/2020 9:11:33 PM

Dear members of the Minneapolis Charter Commission

Thank you for your service to the city, by serving on this important commission. I am writing to urge you to conclude your deliberations on the council's proposed safety amendment, and allow the city council's motion to appear on the November 2020 ballot.

The debate over whether and how to change policing in Minneapolis is a vitally important one, and the events of recent months have shown there is also a sense of public urgency about debating these matters, and having a democratic vote on them. It is notable that this city council, which rarely reaches unanimity on controversial issues managed to endorse their proposed amendment 12-0. This fact should weigh heavily on your considerations, that the elected city council strongly believes this matter should go before the voters.

While state statute gives you ample freedom as commissioners to decide how to perform your roles, as citizen commissioners in a democratic republic I ask that you see your role as facilitating democratic participation in the governance of the city. That requires a vote this year.

The city council's proposal is easily mischaracterized for lacking specifics on how the new department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention would work. That lack of specificity is wholly appropriate for the city charter: a charter and constitution should enable a city to do a variety of different policies. What the council member's proposal does is change the governance of the police: an entirely appropriate proposal to make. While there may be relatively few precedents in American city government for police departments under the control of city councils, essentially what the council proposes is a form of parliamentary or legislative governance of the police. This is a model that works in many foreign countries where the national or state/provincial police are governed by a parliamentary body. There is little reason to believe that efficient structures for day-to-day management and direction could not be established to avoid the imaginary problem of 14 bosses (mayor and council).

Moreover, the city council's general proposal for changing the governance of the police lacks specifics now because it is merely the start of a process of change. If passed by a vote in November, the council could proceed to debating how a new department would operate. It is entirely common in constitutional reform and other domains of reform to reach agreement on the broad parameters of a reform, and then proceed to build consensus on the next steps. A fully worked out view of how a new police department would work is not necessary at this point in time.

Those details will emerge in public debate, a public debate that can only be properly engaged by placing the council's proposal on the ballot for this November. I urge you to recognize the importance of the unanimity of the council's vote, hear the urgency of public comment, and allow this debate to be placed with the citizens of Minneapolis. Your duty in a democratic republic is to empower citizens and their political participation. Please allow the councils amendment on the November 2020 ballot.

Thank you very much,

Ward 2

7/26/2020 9:12:22 PM

I encourage you to adopt the Council's proposed amendment so that the people of this city can decide for themselves the direction of the charter. We need changes to our systems of public safety and we need them now. I hope that you will allow for a full democratic process by passing the amendment of the city council members elected by the people and then allowing for the people to decide even more directly what they want the public safety system to look like in our community. Thank you.

Ward 12

7/26/2020 9:12:34 PM

I have been a proud resident of Minneapolis my entire life, and I am proud that thousands of us took to the streets to demand change now. We are ready to vote this year - the future of the MPD needs to be up to the voters of Minneapolis, and we cannot delay this any longer. Justice delayed is justice denied.

We want to vote this November on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We will not settle for any other reforms or a different amendment.

This charter is a document that holds beyond any one city council or mayor, and it must be a tool for community safety.

Please allow the citizens of Minneapolis to vote on this amendment, without changes, this November. We know what a safer Minneapolis can look like. Give us the chance to choose this for ourselves. Do not delay.

Ward 13

7/26/2020 9:12:39 PM

Thousands of people in Minneapolis and beyond took to the streets during the uprising, and are demanding a change to MPD now. We're ready to vote and see change. The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not un-elected decision makers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won't settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. We need change that will last beyond any one city council or mayor. The charter can be a tool for lasting, profound transformation in how we do community safely, and it's up to voters to shape that change.

When I think of a future Minneapolis where everyone feels safe and welcome, I imagine funding being reallocated to community services that prioritize the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our citizens (and the community members, non-profits, and professionals who are very willing to step into these roles). I hope that everyone who calls Minneapolis home will have an actual home because they have a right to it, and that is where our funding should go if we value taking care of one another. It's not something that can be overlooked. Some of our citizens are suffering while we continue to over fund MPD, who has caused a lot of that very suffering. We are all looking to you to do what's right. Thank you.

Ward 3

7/26/2020 9:19:38 PM

The charter amendment not only needs to eliminate the minimum police requirements, it needs to go forward with eliminating the department so we can start over and create something better

Ward 6

7/26/2020 9:23:58 PM

While I support the City Council's proposed amendment, I oppose the Charter Commission's alternative amendment. In order to begin to enact true change in our city to make up for a long history of police abuses and entrenched systemic racism, we cannot stop with small changes. Systemic change requires systemic solutions, and the Charter Commission's proposal falls short of being a systemic solution. It is merely a "bandaid" to appease those who want reform without actually doing anything differently. It is not enough.

In addition, the City Council is an elected body, while the Charter Commission is not. The Commission's role is to refine proposed amendments as they come, not wholesale cut policy initiatives from the proposals. Because there is no principled reason for the Commission to insert its own policy perspective into the amendment process, I ask that the Commission respect its Minn. Stat. 410.05 role and withdraw its July 20 proposal.

Please put the City Council's original amendment on the ballot and not the Charter Commission's alternative amendment.

7/26/2020 9:44:03 PM

I am concerned that the Charter Commission's ballot proposal does not align with the proposal offered by my elected officials. I had looked forward to voting with my neighbors to transform public safety in Minneapolis. I now fear that voters will see the Charter Commission's proposal as middle ground between the status quo and abolition. This is misguided. The Charter Commission's ballot proposal is the status quo; it simply removes the minimum number of officers. There is no incentive to change. There is no incentive to respond to the community which continues to take to the streets. There is no accountability.

This is dangerous for two reasons. First, adhering to the status quo ensures that my black and brown neighbors will continue to risk death in encounters with police. Second, adhering to the status quo ensures that the community will continue to distrust the police and will be less likely to involve them when crime occurs.

When my bike was stolen this week, I tried to recover it myself. I checked local pawn shops, I asked for security footage from my building, I checked craigslist. I did not want to go to police because I was afraid that someone might die because they were found with my bike. After attempting to recover it, I realized that pawn shops won't tell you if they have your bike, they tell you to call the police. I learned that your building will not give you the security footage, they tell you to call the police.

That is the system that I want disbanded. I want to have the trust that if I call the police, I know that they will respond with professionalism and compassion. I can't count on that now.

I ask that the Charter Commission's proposal be rejected in favor of the proposal offered by my elected officials. I ask for a real mandate, for real change.

Ward 3

7/26/2020 9:50:57 PM

I appreciate the Charter Commission's proposed amendment to remove the required level of police staffing from the city charter, but it is not sufficient change following the murder of George Floyd and subsequent uprising and community response. The charter in its present form is a barrier to desperately needed changes in city security and well-being. Justice and change cannot wait another year. So, I am writing to state I am in favor of the Council’s desire to replace and amend language so that a department of community safety and violence protection may be created.

The decision about the amendments to the city charter and the future of the MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis residents who live with the current system every day. On November 3, I want to have a say - through my vote - in how the protection of Minneapolis citizens can be transformed. As a constituent of the 9th Ward I participated first hand in community response efforts to protect our vulnerable neighbors during the uprising as the MPD and the mayor repeatedly failed us. Our community is ready to build something new that works for all of us.

The amendment will allow the communities of Minneapolis to come together for a process of envisioning and building a new system of safety and violence protection that works for more residents. Yes, there is not currently a tidy alternative to present, and it will be a long and somewhat messy process. But true change cannot happen another way and the current charter is a barrier to even considering another option.

Thank you for your consideration,

Ward 9

7/26/2020 9:52:41 PM

Let the citizens of Minneapolis vote on the proposed charter. The fate of the MPD should not be in the hands of a group of UNELECTED officials. It is clear that the vote needs to come from THE PEOPLE, since we are still living in a democratic society. This CANNOT wait another year. Stand behind your WORDS and put them into ACTION. NOW.

Ward 9

7/26/2020 10:18:05 PM

The Charter Commission's proposed amendment does not constitute the kind of antiracist police reform that a majority of Minneapolis residents want to see. While it is important to reduce the size of the MPD force, it is equally as important to begin slowly dismantling the entire institution of the MPD, which the City Council's proposed amendment works toward. Our elected City Council members have a vision for a new form of public safety that does not rely on a police system built to uphold legacies of slavery and abuse of Black and Indigenous bodies.

I stand by the City Council's proposed amendment because it allows for real change and imagines a better future for all Minneapolis residents. To me, the Charter Commission's amendment is just a bandaid for the problem of racially-biased police violence. We will need greater change to our current system of policing, such as the change suggested by the City Council, to actually protect our Black, brown, and Indigenous neighbors from police violence.

However, regardless of which proposed amendment is selected, it is imperative that the August 5th deadline be met so that the proposed amendment can be put on the ballot this year. The longer we wait, the more violence our current police system will exert on our community. Voters deserve the right to participate in our democracy by voting on an amendment that will shape our city's future of public safety. All efforts must be undertaken so that Minneapolis residents can vote on a proposed amendment in November 2020. Please act urgently on this issue and complete your recommendations before August 5th to ensure that this amendment will go on the ballot this year.

Ward 2

7/26/2020 10:29:01 PM

Attached is my Public Comment demanding the Charter Commission allows the proposed amendment made by the residents of the City of Minneapolis to be moved to our November ballots and to not simplify reduce the number of officers required in MPD.

Attachment:

July 26, 2020 To the Charter Commission of the City of Minneapolis,

My name is xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx and I am a resident of Ward 12 in the Standish neighborhood of Minneapolis.

I am writing to demand that the Charter Commission acknowledges the people’s referendum to defund the Minneapolis Police Department as demonstrated through the participation of thousands of residents in the peaceful protests following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of MPD that demanded an end to police brutality and to the system that continues to enable the police department to intimidate and harm primarily Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, trans folx, immigrants, unsheltered folx, and folx experiencing mental health needs and addictions.

I am demanding that you let us, the residents of the City of Minneapolis, vote on defunding the Minneapolis Police Department in November rather than impose your personal and biased assessments of what we, the people most accosted by police, deserve or not. To move your own amendment and dismiss the feedback you are receiving from constituents is a travesty of democracy, a tone-deaf and privileged response, and counter to the need of safety for all.

In my 20 years as a resident of Minneapolis, I have never had a positive not helpful interaction with MPD; however, it has always been my neighbors and community focused professionals in homelessness, tenant rights, nutrition, and mental health services who have supported me as an immigrant, as a working mother, as a professional, as a businesswoman, and as a resident of the city of Minneapolis.

In the summer of 2004, I once called MPD for support as my downstairs neighbor threatened to hurt my two toddlers, my mother and myself because he found my kids walking annoying and disruptive to his sleep. When the police officers showed up at my door and I explained to them that I had told my neighbors that if he didn’t stop pounding on our door I would call the police, the response of the officers was: “That’s what happens when you get into a catfight.”

As a 24 year old mom already shook by the threats from my neighbor to hurt my kids, the unprofessional and belittling statements from the two MPD oﬃcers showed me that they had little to no concern for my safety and that to them, a brown woman standing up to protect her kids, I was deserving of violence not of protection and after that interaction with MPD, the women in the building were the ones to show up to take care of each other when accosted by our male neighbor.

Fourteen years later, iIn the winter of 2018 as the owner of Dulceria Bakery, a person came into my store and locked themselves in the restroom, refusing to come out after over 30 minutes. Not knowing what to do, I asked one of my customers to contact MPD for assistance as I tried to engage in conversation with the person in the bathroom. While the oﬃcers were able to get the person in the bathroom to open the door, instead of providing resources on how to engage with unsheltered folx, they focused on telling me how their job would’ve been easier if I had had a key to the restroom. Again, 14 years later, their behavior was once of dismissal and shaming, rather than of support.

After the oﬀers left, I reached out to St. Stephen’s to ask what could I - as a businesswoman - do in the future to better engage with unsheltered folx. Within a couple of hours, their Street Outreach Manager stopped by my store to share resources and tools to safely welcome unsheltered folx, provided me with metro transit tokens and information on shelters, soup kitchens and safe places to direct folx in need, and also provided me with language to seek support if there was ever concern for my wellbeing or the wellbeing of an unsheltered guest such as asking MPD for support from an oﬃcer with mental health training.

The tools and resources that St. Stephen’s staff offered me as a businesswoman became part of our staff training and it came handy more than once, both in my business and personal interactions with unsheltered folx. This is the kind of services and community-led safety and support that MPD is unable to comprehend and provide and that we desperately need to fund.

I urge you to let us vote and to exercise our right to create a system that supports safety for all, that doesn’t shame nor dismisses the needs of marginalized communities, that engages professionals in mental health, tenant rights, accountability processes, addictions management, aﬀordable housing, and violence prevention, and to let us vote to end a system where accountability is not a requirement of MPD.

Sincerely

Ward 12

7/26/2020 10:35:03 PM

Hello Commissioners,

I’m writing to you today to say you must let us vote on defunding the police. Our city desperately needs change. Cops have never been a safe option for all our citizens. Everyone deserves to feel safe. After the murder of George Floyd in broad daylight and continued violence from cops in the days after it has become so much more clear to our citizens just how dangerous the cops are and have always been. The city is calling for change and the time is now for us to vote. There is no going back. We need to build safety in a new way. So much in our city, state, country is wrong but there are many opportunities everyday to do things right. Let us vote.

Ward 2

7/26/2020 10:37:53 PM

I believe the public should be able to vote on the proposed amendment to disband the police department. The community in Minneapolis agrees that the police should be defunded, and since we are the community that is being policed, we should have a say in this proposed amendment. I also support the amendment that would eliminate minimum staffing levels in the police department and believe the community should be able to have a say in this as well.

Ward 1

7/26/2020 10:41:43 PM

I support sending this potential charter amendment to the people for a vote, and I'm not sure why this is even a question for the Charter Commission.

The duly elected City Council has put forth a charter amendment, and their intention is to let the people they represent vote on it: this is democracy in its purest form. None of you are elected, so it seems wildly undemocratic for you to even consider blocking this process. Please honor the democracy in which you function, get out of the way, and let the vote happen. Thank you for doing the right thing.

Ward 13

7/26/2020 10:51:26 PM

Put the charter amendment on the ballot so we can vote on it in November.

Ward 9

7/26/2020 11:10:52 PM

Hello, my name is xxxxxxxxxx, and I am a member of Ward 9. I am writing to support allowing the community members of Minneapolis to vote for the charter amendment. The people in Minneapolis deserve to be able to decide for ourselves whether we need the outdated and racist office of the MPD. We won’t settle for reforms or other surface level changes to the MPD. Allow us to make our own decisions, don’t leave it to unelected committees. As a trauma therapist, I have heard countless stories of how the cops have only made traumatic situations worse or entirely created them for no reason. We deserve something better that will keep our city safe. Thank you.

Ward 9

7/27/2020 12:07:58 AM

A man was murdered a mile from my home by MPD and thousands of people took to the streets in the uprising, and people across the city are demanding a change to MPD now. We’re ready to vote this year. As a taxpayer whose income funds MPD, the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision-makers. I and my community want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. We need change that will last beyond any one city council or mayor. The charter can be a tool for lasting, profound transformation in how we do community safety - and it's up to voters to shape that change. After the murder, MPD was nowhere to be found and our communities came together. By approaching individuals in the neighborhood who were strangers, by de-escalating situations with no formal training in doing so but instead using a compassionate approach, and by coming together to form neighborhood watches, we kept our community safe without MPD continuing to escalate situations. In the aftermaths of the riots, I was peacefully protesting with a group and 20 minutes before curfew, state troopers dropped to a knee, put on their gas masks, and retreated 200 feet. They then threw tear gas at us from 200 feet away without any reason. The institution of policing is broken. They are unnecessarily escalating situations and are trained to treat every interaction as a possible attack on them. Police are not needed in many situations and they are not trained enough to do jobs that professionals with 4 year degrees and additional training are qualified to do (mainly mental health and behavioral issues). The response times are excessive. Why are there shortages of officers during high crime times (mainly nights and weekends)? Do most officers get an 8-5 schedule when they likely aren't as needed? They are not there for us when we need them, and when they are called they harm more than they help. They are supposed to protect and serve, but they do not put their citizens first. Let our voices be heard. Let us vote.

Ward 12

7/27/2020 12:09:21 AM

We need to reform the police. Too many of us watched someone who was supposed to protect and serve our community murder someone in cold blood while his co-workers let it happen. As far as I'm concerned, any damage done in the resulting riots is the fault of MPD for facilitating a department with such disregard for human life. When this happens again and our city burns again, that blood will be on your hands. The behavior of the MPD during the riots shows their contempt of regular citizen and the First Amendment. I cannot put into words how angry I am with MPD at this point.

Ward 12

7/27/2020 12:29:32 AM

Although I am not a resident of Minneapolis, I care greatly about the future well-being of a city from my state and the incredible community found there.

I urge the City Council to not settle for simply removing the minimum number of officers - the city (and country) has shown that we are ready for big changes, and this can start with eliminating the department as a whole. We must think beyond these systems that have not ever served our communities, and a charter amendment would create lasting change. Our MN communities and the world are watching. It may be difficult to envision, but there are so many great people and organizations with ideas to be shared - a police-free future is possible.

So, let the voters choose! A change to the charter to eliminate the MPD must appear on the ballot in November.

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/27/2020 1:38:37 AM

As a resident of Minneapolis for over 30 years I request that the original charter amendment proposed by the City Council, for creating a Community Safety and Violence Prevention Department and removing the Police Department, be submitted posthaste to the voters of Minneapolis. Thousands of us have taken to the streets in the uprising, and we will not settle for smaller reforms or for a different amendment from the Commission. It is crucial that the future of the Minneapolis Police Department be determined democratically by voters and NOT by unelected decisionmakers. Paternalistic attempts to limit our options are unwelcome and unhelpful. Minneapolis residents must have ALL options on the table as we proceed with community conversations about how best to provide for our safety and wellbeing.

Thank you,

Ward 8

7/27/2020 2:04:26 AM

Dear Charter Commission,

My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I do not support placing the Charter Commission's proposed amendment on the ballot. We already have a proposed amendment, created by our elected representatives. It is vital to the peace of this city that we vote on the original amendment in 2020! If you allow the City Council's proposed amendment to move forward onto the 2020 ballot, you have a chance to play a positive role at a monumental moment in our country's history. Please understand, if you stop this amendment from getting to the November 2020 ballot, you will go down in history as a roadblock to allowing the people of this city to vote on making structural changes to one of the pillars of system racism.

Ward 3

7/27/2020 6:18:24 AM

I have lived in Minneapolis for over a decade, my mom, dad, and sisters all live here and i am raising three children here. I am deeply invested in the safety and well-being of Minneapolis residents.

As a mother and a white person who is committed to transforming our city into a place that is safer and truly welcoming for Black, indigenous and people of color, rather than just primarily white folks, I implore you to pass the charter and allow us to determine our own future. We, as Minneapolis residents, deserve to have power and influence over our own safety systems. Do the democratic and and courageous thing and vote to give Minneapolis residents a voice and a vote. Don’t shut us out!

Pass the charter!

Ward 3

7/27/2020 7:03:55 AM

I want the opportunity to vote on an amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety

Ward 2

7/27/2020 7:21:33 AM

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers.

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

The amendment WON’T abolish the police — there will definitely be a police force during any transition to a Department of Public Safety, which could still have a force. But much more leeway will be possible without a REQUIREMENT for police in the charter.

The amendment means the police will report to the City Council, not the Mayor, just like the fire department does. I know that we can all create a safer Minneapolis with the allocation of resources away from police and to homelessness, mental health, and education.

Ward 1

7/27/2020 7:23:10 AM

To the Charter Commission: I'm a resident of South Minneapolis, and live halfway between where George Floyd was murdered and the Third Precinct. When George Floyd was murdered, I said "Again? Again." I've called Minneapolis home for nearly half of my life and the murder of Black people by the police in this city is reprehensible. Thousands of my neighbors and I took to the streets to demand a change to the Minneapolis Police Department, NOW. In fact, this latest uprising is only the most recent manifestation of our cries and demands over the years. Don't forget Jamar Clark. Don't forget Terrance Franklin. We're not going to stop. The future of the Minneapolis Police Department, a department funded by taxpayer dollars, should be up to us - the voters - to determine through a democratic process. This decision should not be made by a small group of un-elected decision-makers. We want to vote on the amendment to remove the Minneapolis Police Department from the charter and to create a new Department of Community Safety. We will not settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. The change we are demanding needs to outlast this latest murder, this latest news cycle, and the current politicians, mayor, and city council. This is why we must use the charter to make more long- lasting, profound change. We are a in unique historical moment in which we have the opportunity to literally lead the way, to set an example for the rest of our state, country, and the world. To atone for these grievances and begin the work of repair. Give the voters of Minneapolis their right to vote on this. Sincerely Ward 12 7/27/2020 7:27:46 AM

The future of MPD should be up to us voters through the democratic process, not unelected decision makers!

Ward 9

7/27/2020 7:28:34 AM

We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission!

Ward 7 7/27/2020 7:36:31 AM

I am writing in support of the Charter amendment. We have seen our city's police department fail our community time after time. It's time we put our resources elsewhere so that everyone can feel safe. I urge you to stand on the right side of history and support this change!

Ward 13

7/27/2020 7:51:42 AM

I believe that the future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, and I urge you to let the voters of Minneapolis decide for themselves in November if they want to change the charter. Thanks you for all your good work and attention to this.

Ward 6

7/27/2020 7:52:10 AM

I’m a homeowner in ward 7. That doesn’t mean my voice should matter more, but it probably does to the council. I understand that home ownership is power in this town. I hope you listen to the people who are hurting. I don’t think the revised charter goes far enough - the black and brown communities and allies in Minneapolis have been very clear in communicating the hurt that law enforcement had caused. Law enforcement is for wealthy homeowners and keeping mention of it in the charter is CLEARLY an effort to appease the few but very loud affluent homeowners who law enforcement was designed to serve. Remove mention of law enforcement from the charter. Be bold and listen to the future. Ward 7 7/27/2020 7:53:04 AM

I am a Minneapolis Resident - I'm not a violent reactionary. The future of the MPD should be up to the voters. Not unelected folks. We want to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. We won’t settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission. Listen to the people. Let us move in the direction that will help all people in our city. It is an anti-racist action that is in YOUR HANDS. Do the right thing. Ward 13 7/27/2020 8:04:58 AM

I support the city council's charter amendment and urge the commission to allow it to be put to a vote, as originally written, by Minneapolis residents. I do not support the charter commission's proposed amendment because it does not go far enough to make this city safer for all residents. Additionally, the charter commission overstepped their role in presenting the proposed amendment. They are note elected officials and they do not represent the people of Minneapolis. Ward 10 7/27/2020 8:09:50 AM

Hello!

I have been a resident of Minneapolis for 10 years. We’re ready for change and we’re ready to lead now. I support the councils version of the amendment, it allows us the flexibility to make real change to how we promote physical and mental wellbeing in Minneapolis.

Thank you for your service and please let us vote on the council’s amendment. Having two amendments would be confusing

Ward 4

7/27/2020 8:14:20 AM

Dear Charter Comission,

People of Minneapolis don’t want a brutal, unaccountable police department protected in thier city charter! Eliminate MPD and create a new civilian-run Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention.

People of Minneapolis don’t want more police in our communities! Remove the Charter requirement for the minimum # of police!

People of Minneapolis deserve to be a part of the process, and justice cannot wait another year! Letting the people of Minneapolis vote on the charter respects our democratic right to determine the kind of city we want.

Thank you,

I don't reside in Minneapolis

7/27/2020 8:14:38 AM

In favor of creating a new Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department and removing the Police Department from the Charter.

Ward 2

7/27/2020 8:17:20 AM

I support the City Council's proposal to remove the Police Department from the city charter, and replace it with a Community Safety & Violence Prevention Department. This measure is designed with vision and compassion, based on decades of research into community safety and informed by a public health perspective.

As a resident of the City of Minneapolis, I have witnessed firsthand the ways Police abuse citizens. In one meaningful incident, I called 911 to request medical aid for a person experiencing seizures, and the MPD officers who respond yelled at me for being too close to this person, yelled at the patient in need of care to get off the street, and overall added harm to the situation rather than providing care for my neighbor. I want to see a fully re-visioned department informed by proactive policies for health and wellbeing, where we walk away from the retaliatory and ineffective systems of penal scapegoating and punishment.

Ward 9

7/27/2020 8:18:46 AM

Hello,

I am a white mother who lives in South Minneapolis- (ward 12). I want a chance to vote on the amendment to remove MPD from the charter and create a new Department of Community Safety. I will NOT settle for smaller reforms or a different amendment from the Commission.

I was one of the thousands who took to the streets in the uprising. And on the days when I couldn't be there, it still felt like it--there was tear gas throughout my neighborhood. The uprising is necessary and good and it needs to get us real change.

I want change. My neighbors want change. People across the city want change. People across the country want change, too--and many are looking to Minneapolis to lead.

We are ready to vote this year.

And we want change that will last beyond this city council and this mayor. The charter can be a tool for lasting, profound transformation in how we do community safety - and it's up to voters to shape that change.

The future of MPD should be up to the voters of Minneapolis through the democratic process, not people who aren't even elected. Please let us vote.

Ward 12

7/27/2020 8:25:45 AM

Please vote to allow the citizens of Minneapolis to go to the polls to support and vote for a new Dept. of Public Safety. The current system is broken and is in dire need of an overhaul. thank you,

Ward 9

7/27/2020 8:35:34 AM

Hello,

As a resident of the Phillips neighborhood I and in support of letting voters of Minneapolis decide for themselves in November if they want to change the charter. Since the Commission is appointed I believe it is undemocratic to allow them to make this decision on the behalf of the community. LET US VOTE!

Ward 9

7/27/2020 8:37:42 AM

Hello,

I'm a Ward 9 Voter and I'm asking the future of the MPD be decided by voters. I want to be able to vote on the Amendment to remove MPD from the charter.

Ward 9