George Floyd's Hometown Votes to Reject Police Reform
The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, at the hands of a number of the city’s police officers, sparked a national outcry about systemic racism and police brutality that many believed would lead us to a massive paradigm shift, at least as far as law enforcement is concerned.
Advocates seized on the moment to suggest all manner of solutions. Some insisted that abolishing the police entirely was the only real solution, (often through defunding), while others took a slightly more sensible approach, suggesting that there are some responsibilities that police officers could shed to more qualified individuals – specifically in low-danger instances involving people suffering from mental illness.
One such solution was on the ballot in Minneapolis this week, and the results have shocked some observers.
Voters in Minneapolis have resoundingly rejected a proposal to reinvent policing in their city, 17 months after the killing of George Floyd by police sparked massive protests and calls for change.
Approximately 56% of voters rejected a ballot question that would have removed the Minneapolis Police Department from the city charter and replaced it with a “public-health oriented” Department of Public Safety.
The “Yes” campaign conceded defeat in a statement that read, in part, “We spoke the truth while the opposition, Democrats and Republicans alike, spread lies and mischaracterized our measure to create confusion, distrust, and fear. “
Many blamed a national surge in crime for the waning interest in police reform, with some of this escalation coming directly from the national protests and riots surrounding Floyd’s death.