Minneapolis Charter Commission: Approve the amendment, and let’s re-imagine community safety

Write Your Letter Below

Below is the letter we will send to members of the Minneapolis Charter Commission:

Dear Minneapolis Charter Commission,

The people of Minneapolis deserve a meaningful community process to re-imagine health and safety that is not blocked by the City Charter. For years, the Charter has been a barrier to addressing the atrocities perpetrated by the Minneapolis Police Department because it restricts the city council’s ability to hold MPD accountable. The Charter also restricts how the City practices public safety by requiring a minimum number of MPD officers. Neither of these barriers exist for any other City department.

It is in our democratic right to ensure proper oversight and accountability from our public departments. The demands for change in public oversight are not new and they should not wait: we deserve greater oversight over public departments that we pay for, as several Council Members have pushed for.

The best community solutions must be viable, without barriers embedded in the City Charter. A meaningful community process to re-imagine healthy, safe communities cannot wait. Without the chance to amend the City Charter this year, the best community solutions may not even be viable.

The work to engage Minneapolis residents and stakeholders in a path forward must start now—and it must include a 2020 ballot initiative. The City Charter belongs to the people, and we deserve a chance to exercise our democratic voice.

I am standing with Color Of Change, Black Visions, and Reclaim The Block to demand that you advance the proposed charter amendment to disband MPD.

More than ever, we need you to lead. I’m writing to ask you to make clear that you stand with the people of Minneapolis and move the charter amendment forward. Our fight for #JusticeForFloyd isn't over, and we will continue to hold you accountable and demand that you use your power to defend Black lives and let Minneapolis voters re-imagine community safety.

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Would you be willing to record a 30 second video calling on the Minneapolis Charter Commission to move the amendment forward and let the city re-imagine community safety? We'll use these videos on social media to create public pressure, and send it back to you to share, too! Yes Unsure, please send me more information No

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Minneapolis Charter Commission: Approve the amendment, and let’s re-imagine community safety

Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

On Wednesday, August 5, the Charter Commission will come to a decision on the amendment to disband Minneapolis Police — and we need all hands on deck to hold them accountable.

Here’s where we are:

In June, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to advance a potential ballot measure to change the city charter and dismantle Minneapolis' police force. This was an important step forward to re-imagine community safety and disband the police department that murdered George Floyd.

Black organizers made that first step happen. Standing with Black Visions and Reclaim The Block, Color of Change sent thousands of texts, tweets, and letters demanding action — and made more than 2,300 calls to Minneapolis City Council members in less than 24 hours.

The City Council stood with us to move the charter amendment forward. When we demanded action, they listened. And we have to stay the course.

The Charter must be changed to establish a Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention and remove the rigid requirements that keep MPD locked in place. As the people of Minneapolis, we deserve a meaningful community process to re-imagine health and safety that is not blocked by the City Charter. If the charter is changed, MPD will not be dismantled overnight; instead, the charter change will begin a thoughtful transition to a department that actually keeps our communities safe.

The Charter Commission thinks we aren’t paying attention. The Charter Commission could think we’ll let our efforts to disband MPD die in committee through bureaucracy and pop-up commission meetings. We won’t let that happen. We need to show them we are paying attention.

The Charter Commission is a 15-person body of appointed commissioners who will review and evaluate the proposed amendment. The Commission may either approve or reject the proposed amendment referred by the City Council, or it may offer a new, substitute amendment. From there, the amendment faces Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and a fast-impending deadline to make it on the November ballot.

Tell members of the Minneapolis Charter Commission: We’re still watching, and we will continue to hold Minneapolis leaders accountable — this week, next month, and beyond. Move the charter amendment forward as-is and let Minneapolis voters decide our city’s future.