Minneapolis school board + union call on district to sever ties with police department
In the wake of the police murder of George Floyd, the Minneapolis school board and union moved to sever ties with the police, recognizing that SROs (special resource officers) in schools are harmful to students and the community. A similar ask was made by the president of the University of Minnesota. We celebrate these as […]
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Star Tribune Editorial : We must look beyond police for community safety
Members of MPD150 wrote a counterpoint to the Star Tribune article “Defunding cops is not the answer”. Our piece was published in the Star Tribune on March 22nd. You can find it on their website or below. As community leaders calling for less funding for police and more funding for alternative community safety measures, we […]
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10 Action Ideas for Building a Police-Free Future
Imagine that you were asked to help create stability in a newly-founded city. How would you try to solve the problems that your friends and neighbors encountered? How would you respond to crisis and violence? Would your *first* choice be an unaccountable army with a history of oppression and violence patrolling your neighborhood around the […]
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Minneapolis council moves to shift $1.1 million from police department
Activists with a group called Reclaim the Block have pushed council members to shift more money from the police department to community programs that emphasize prevention and intervention. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/11/30/mpls-budget-amendment-removes-million-dollars-police “Every dollar that wasn’t spent on police because of that amendment is going to be spent on programs she hopes will make police less necessary.” http://www.citypages.com/news/minneapolis-police-department-budget-cut-by-1m-to-fund-public-safety-programs-instead/501824851
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New “Enough is Enough” Audio Report
MPD150 presents the audio version of their 2017 report, a 150-year performance review of the Minneapolis Police Department.
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New York Times: ‘Testilying’ by Police: A Stubborn Problem
Police lying persists, even amid an explosion of video
evidence that has allowed the public to test officers’ credibility.
Twin Cities Daily Planet: Could a police-free city be a viable option in Minneapolis?
A police-free Minneapolis is viable and necessary. A few of our core team members spoke with Kim Schneider from the Twin Cities Daily Planet about our vision for getting there.
Read MoreThe Successful Failure of Reform
When cases of police brutality, fabrication of evidence or corruption burst into public view they are inevitably followed by calls for police reform. The demanded changes sometimes produce temporary improvements, though more often, not. In any case are soon eroded, reversed or even turned into instruments of increased police power once the public outcry dies down.
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