The city of Minneapolis is now accepting public comment on a charter amendment that would remove the requirement to maintain a police department.
Instead, the proposal would create a new Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention. Within that, the city could create a division that includes "licensed peace officers," though it would not be required to do so.
The charter currently requires the city to maintain a police department and fund "at least 0.0017 employees per resident." It's unclear how many, if any, officers would continue to be employed by the city if the proposal passes.
The charter change would need to be approved by voters. To make it on the November ballot, it must first be reviewed by the Charter Commission and approved by the City Council. Mayor Jacob Frey would also need to decide whether to approve sending the measure to the ballot, or veto that effort.
The Charter Commission has scheduled a special public meeting for 4 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the measure and whether to fast-track it. There is an Aug. 21 deadline for submitting items to the ballot.
People who wish to submit public comment can visit www.minneapolismn.gov or call 311 for help.
Those who wish to watch the virtual Charter Commission meeting can find it on Comcast channels 14 or 799 or CenturyLink channels 8001 or 8501.
Liz Navratil
