Minneapolis rejects measure to replace police force, Austin rejects measure to expand police force

published November 3, 2021

Voters in Minneapolis rejected a proposal Tuesday that would have replacing the city's police department with a new Department of Public Safety, a push fueled by the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Police officer. Opponents of the initiative, including Mayor Jacob Frey (D), argued that there was no concrete plan to create a new public safety department. The part of the city charter that would have been changed requires Minneapolis to have a minimum number of officers based on population.

Voters in Austin, meanwhile, overwhelmingly rejected a proposed amendment Tuesday that would have required the the Austin Police Department to have at least two officers for every 1,000 residents — which, at current levels, would have required hiring 300 to 700 new officers over the next year, at an estimated cost of $54 million to $120 million a year. Proposition A, which failed by a 2-to-1 margin, was put on the ballot by a Republican-aligned group called Save Austin Now.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox