Minneapolis approves cuts to police budget, not staffing
by Amy Forliti And Steve Karnowski, The Associated Press
Posted Dec 10, 2020 2:40 pm EDT
Last Updated Dec 10, 2020 at 2:44 pm EDT
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a budget early Thursday that will shift about $8 million from the police department toward violence prevention and other programs — but will keep the mayor’s targeted staffing levels for sworn officers intact, averting a possible veto.
Mayor Jacob Frey, who had threatened to veto the entire budget if the council went ahead with its plan to cap police staffing, said the vote was a defining moment for the city, which has experienced soaring crime rates amid calls to defund the police since the May 25 death of George Floyd.