Minneapolis slashes police budget in wake of Floyd killing


Donate
WASHINGTON — The Minneapolis city council voted to slash nearly $8 million from its police budget Thursday as it seeks to overhaul its force in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, US media reported.
The money reduced from the mayor’s $179 million police spending proposal will be moved to other areas, including financing mental health crisis teams, the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper reported.
But the budget maintains staffing projections of 888 officers for the police department as sought by Mayor Jacob Frey amid an increase in violent crime in the Midwestern city that was convulsed by protests following Floyd’s killing.
A majority of the city council had supported disbanding the force after a white police officer was captured on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for several minutes until he went limp in May, but the proposal later stalled.
The killing sparked weeks of protests and unrest around the country, with the shootings and deaths of other African Americans — including Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky — leading to fervent calls for justice.
The protests and their rallying cry of “Black Lives Matter” played a role in the US presidential election, eventually won by Democrat Joe Biden over Donald Trump.
Cities across the country have been weighing how to respond to calls for deep reforms to their police forces.
Four officers have been charged over Floyd’s killing and are expected to stand trial in March.
POST YOUR COMMENTS
MAORANDCITIES.COM uses both Facebook and Disqus comment systems to make it easier for you to contribute. We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. All comments should be relevant to the topic. By posting, you agree to our Privacy Policy. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, name-calling, foul language or other inappropriate behavior. Please keep your comments relevant and respectful. By leaving the ‘Post to Facebook’ box selected – when using Facebook comment system – your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the “X” in the upper right corner of the Facebook comment box to report spam or abuse. You can also email us.