► What are the intentions of the city of Minneapolis?
Two weeks after the death of George Floyd, nine of the thirteen members of the Minneapolis city council made, Sunday, June 7, a radical commitment: to dismantle the police of the city soon. “Decades of effort have shown that the Minneapolis police (MPD) cannot be reformed and will never be held accountable for their actions, they said in a joint statement. We will initiate the dismantling of the police and the creation of a new security model for our city. “
→ ANALYSIS. The impossible reform of the American police
Before the death of George Floyd, the city had already known many dramas of this type – Christopher Burns in 2002, David Smith in 2010, Jamar Clark in 2015, Philando Castile, in 2016 … Efforts had been made to train, to educate … But often thwarted internally by the police unions. For the majority of the elected members of the municipal council, the death of George Floyd, who did not resist his arrest nor represented a threat, is the acknowledgment of failure of this strategy.
► What to replace the policy with?
The consequences of this announcement remain very uncertain. First because it seems that a vote of the inhabitants of Minneapolis is necessary to modify the statutes of the city, which envisage the existence of a police force.
On the other hand because, for the moment, the municipal council does not offer any other option. The move is part of a once radical movement that has grown in strength as U.S. police continue to kill approximately 1,000 people a year – a statistic that has remained stable for twenty years, according to the report. Washington Post, which keeps track of police violence. This movement, whose slogan is « Defund the police » (“No money for the police”), believes that, since the security drift that began under the Nixon presidency, the police are seen as the only answer to many problems (drugs, mental health, school violence, etc.) , which would be much better supported by social services. Cutting her off would therefore be the best method to limit her power.
► What is the point of view of the Democratic Party?
For Democrats, the issue of public safety is a touchy subject. They regularly face accusations of laxity. Donald Trump and his allies did not hesitate to widely disseminate the decision of the city council of Minneapolis, a democratic city. Joe Biden was therefore quick to indicate that he was opposed to the dismantling of the MPD. However, he judges “Urgent” an ambitious reform. It supports in particular the bill tabled Monday, June 8 by the Democrats in the House of Representatives for “End police brutality, hold police to account, improve transparency and create far-reaching and structural change”.
→ ANALYSIS. Against Donald Trump, Joe Biden offers unity and empathy
This text provides in particular for the creation of a national register for police officers committing blunders, and intends to facilitate legal proceedings against officers. Some dangerous techniques of “Bottlenecks” would be prohibited. This project should however be blocked by the Republicans, majority in the Senate.
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