Guest column

We must do better – but amendment isn't the action we need

Emily Koski

Posted Wednesday, February 24, 2021 4:10 pm

Ward 11 candidates DISCUSS public safety in Minneapolis

A brief overview

On Jan. 28, Ward 11 Council member Jeremy Schroeder, along with Ward 4 Council member Phillipe Cunningham and Ward 3 Council member Steve Fletcher formally introduced language for their Transforming Community Safety Charter Amendment, which would empower voters to decide on the future of public safety system in Minneapolis on this November’s ballot.

The Transforming Public Safety Charter Amendment would establish in the City Charter a new Department of Public Safety, mirroring the structure of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. This new city department would oversee and lead a continuum of public safety efforts that prevent, intervene in, and reduce crime and violence to create safer communities for everyone in Minneapolis. The amendment would remove the Police Department as a charter department, and establish in its place a Division of Law Enforcement within the Department of Public Safety made up of sworn peace officers (police) responsible for the core functions of law enforcement.

According to authors, the Transforming Public Safety Charter Amendment reflects wide-ranging feedback from community members citywide over the past year. This proposal clarifies that the city would retain traditional law enforcement (which is required by state law). At the same time, it provides the flexibility and freedom to coordinate and improve outcomes by integrating other public safety functions under one department. This measure builds on the resolution adopted unanimously by the city council last year, and signed by the mayor, that commits to transforming the public safety system and making sure it keeps everyone safe. Additionally, the resolution committed city council members to seek input from community members.

By Emily Koski, Ward 11 council candidate

Public safety is a basic human right. Every person, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, orientation, or economic status has the right to feel safe in their homes and in our community. Our community has been very clear - we have demanded that our leadership prioritizes making our communities safe and addresses the structural, systemic injustices and inequalities in our public safety system. This is not an either/or situation; we must have both.
The city of Minneapolis is at a crossroads. We must take action now to reform our public safety system.
This will be hard work - possibly the hardest work the city will undertake in the next decade. And we owe it to all of our community members - our kids, our seniors, those who have been victims of police brutality, those who fear for their safety - to do it right.
We need partnerships, strategic problem solving, and a solution that doesn’t come at the expense of anyone in our community. It’s time we bring all voices to the table - members of our community, public safety officials, our leadership, and public safety experts - to work together and rebuild. In order to accomplish this, we need nw represetation on our city council that is focused on building bridges, not burning them.
We need to take steps to get rid of the bad police officers that exist within our public safety system. As your city council member, I will re-evaluate our recruitment standards to cultivate a workforce that reflects our population, meets higher standards, and shares our values. I will work with our government affairs staff and state legislators to pass laws that keep bad police officers off the job. I will incentivize progress by tying improvements in public safety outcomes to job performance. I will work to completely upend the off-duty hiring process to ensure police are utilized properly and representing the city in all the work they do.
We need to take steps to support the good police officers, and create a public safety system that is anti-racist, accountable to the community, equitable, and smart about how it approaches difficult problems throughout our city. As your city council member I will support professional development, increase mental health support, and seek to create a path for police officers to have better access to well-being resources. I will ensure that there are equitable professional development and advancement opportunities for women, LGBTQ, and BIPOC police officers. I will increase officer training requirements so they’re better equipped to safely intervene on calls and held accountable to higher standards. I will support the expansion of de-escalation training.
We must seek dramatic improvements in race-based public safety inequity. As your city council member I will work to implement Crisis Intervention Team Programs to respond to mental health crisis calls. I will partner with local organizations to fund programs that support those in mental health crisis in a compassionate way. I will evaluate the Office of Police Conduct Review and recommend a way to better hold police accountable that includes a disciplinary mechanism, if necessary. I will eliminate the enforcement of misdemeanor drug possession for cannabis.
Lastly, we must rebuild the trust of Ward 11 residents in our police department. As your city council member I will hold bi-monthly public safety forums to bring the voices of the community, our leadership, public safety officials, and public safety experts together to discuss our shared priorities. I will make police department leadership more accessible to the communities they serve by opening precincts and holding in-person community meetings. I will work to ensure our public safety officials adequately, quickly, and thoroughly respond to public records requests by community members.
The Public Safety Charter Amendment proposed by three city council members, including our city council member for Ward 11, does not answer the demands that our community has made. The proposed amendment does not take action towards making our communities safe, nor does it take action towards addressing the structural, systemic injustices and inequalities that exist in our public safety system.
We can - and we must - do better. That starts with leadership that ensures our community is seen and heard. Everyone deserves to feel safe in our communities, in their neighborhood. It is fundamental to a strong, vibrant and growing city. Together, with the community, members of our public safety system, experts, and leadership city wide, I know we can get it done.