MINNEAPOLIS HAS pledged to disband its police department as the city knows it in a historic move.
Nine of the city’s 12 councillors voted to replace the police force responsible for the death of George Floyd.
The three remaining council members are said to be in support of the change but were not ready to sign their name.
Speaking on stage at a community rally, Minneapolis city council president Lisa Bender said: “It is clear our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe.
“Our efforts at incremental reform have failed, period. Our commitment is to do what’s necessary to keep every single member of our community safe and to tell the truth: that the Minneapolis police are not doing that.
She added: “Our commitment is to end policing as we know it, and to recreate systems of public safety that actually keep us safe.”
Bender’s announcement follows pledges from councillor’s last week to “dismantle” and rebuild the city’s police department.
Councillor Jeremiah Ellison said: “We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. And when we’re done, we’re not gonna simply glue it back together. We are going to dramatically rethink how we approach public safety and emergency response.
