In the upcoming Nov. 2 election, residents of the City of Minneapolis will vote on a city question that will determine whether or not the police department will be replaced with a new department of public safety.

This proposal, if passed, would remove the police department from the city charter, put the proposed department of public safety under the oversight of the mayor and city council who will nominate a commissioner of this department.

“Currently there is more direct mayoral authority when it comes to the police department than other departments in the city,” political science professor Timothy Lynch said. “So if you look at some of the wording in the proposal, it would essentially make the public safety system look more like other agencies within the city.”

Lynch said that specific aspects of the department of public safety will be established after the vote.

“Within the proposal, it says that the structure of this new public safety commission would be determined after,” Lynch said, “only if it were to be approved.”

There are split opinions from prominent political figures, Lynch said.

“It’s kind of interesting, because there have been a number of people, prominent democrats, who have said that they would not support this,” Lynch said. “That includes Governor Walz. It includes Senator Klobuchar.”

This, Lynch said, shows a “variety of approaches within the Democratic party.”

“When you have some perceptions that exist about the city, and those perceptions that exist in parts of Minnesota outside the city, that people who are on a statewide basis, like Governor, like Senator, are going to be sensitive to the constituencies that exist throughout the state,” Lynch said.

This question will be listed alongside two other city questions; one about consolidating administrative power to the mayor and one about rent stabilization.

Political science and international studies major Joey Brueggemeier said that the additional questions on the ballot are a major reason that St. Thomas students should vote.

“It’s really important for students to vote in local elections as well as presidential elections,” Brueggemeier said.

That, Brueggemeir said, is why he tries to convince other college students to vote in local elections.

“I try to persuade individuals by saying it’s really easy, “ Brueggemeir said. “You just need to go onto MNvotes.org and register to vote because the impact that local elections have is enormous.”

Angeline Terry can be reached at Terr2351@stthomas.edu.
Casey Eakins can be reached at casey.eakins@stthomas.edu.