The Minneapolis City Council on Friday unanimously approved a proposal to eliminate the city's police department, marking the first step toward establishing a new "holistic" approach to public safety.
The police department, which is largely white and has long struggled to adequately reflect the racial makeup of the city, has come under even greater scrutiny as public cries to defund the department have gained traction among elected officials.
Under the proposed plan, the city would eliminate the existing police department and replace it with "a department of community safety and violence prevention, which will have responsibility for public safety services prioritizing a holistic, public health-oriented approach."
Only individuals with "non-law enforcement experience in community safety services, including but not limited to public health and/or restorative justice approaches," will be eligible to hold the post, according to the amendment.
Additionally, the city could keep a much smaller division of law enforcement in effect under the supervision of the department of community safety and violence prevention.
