After repeated calls from organizers, community residents, and even some sitting councilmembers, the Minneapolis City Council has publicly committed to exploring the dismantling of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD).
All nine councilmembers in attendance—Lisa Bender, Phillipe Cunningham, Alondra Cano, Andrea Jenkins, Jeremiah Ellison, Andrew Johnson, Steve Fletcher, Cam Gordon, and Jeremy Schroeder— committed to the historic decision.
The council’s commitment comes after Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey refused to publicly commit at BVC’s “Defund The Police” protest on Saturday, June 6.
While police oversight is managed by the mayor, the city council could potentially dismantle the department through budget cuts and ordinances.
Reclaim the Block, BVC and MPD150 have been organizing since 2018 to push Minneapolis to divest from the police department and invest in community resources.
