“It’s a long road to liberation and our journey doesn’t begin or end with Question 2,” said one campaign group in Minneapolis.

By Julia Conley.  Published 11-3-2021 by Common Dreams

Advocates of a push to amend Minneapolis’ city charter and replace the city’s police department with a “public health-oriented” Department of Public Safety were undeterred from their fight for far-reaching reform on Wednesday after their proposal failed to win a majority of voters’ support, while activists in other U.S. cities celebrated victories against powerful law enforcement structures.

The grassroots group Black Visions Collective applauded the “historic” Yes on 2 campaign, which helped push nearly 44% of Minneapolis voters to support Question 2 after launching a petition to demand the question be included on the ballot.
“Despite an aggressive oppositional campaign, resourced by the Police Federation, corporate-backed white liberals like Jacob Frey and conservative black elites, the people of Minneapolis fought for and won the chance to take back our power,” said Black Visions Collective. “It’s a long road to liberation and our journey doesn’t begin or end with Question 2.”

“Passing legislation or electing candidates isn’t our only measure of success,” the group continued. “Our people reclaiming their ability to govern is a victory. Our people reclaiming their ability to name safety is a victory. Our people committing to moving toward a world beyond police is a victory.”

Garnering the support of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the ACLU, and national grassroots organization People’s Action, the Yes on 2 campaign pushed to end minimum police staffing numbers for Minneapolis and to give the City Council oversight over a proposed Department of Public Safety. According to the language on the ballot, the department’s public health-focused staff “could include licensed peace officers (police officers), if necessary.”

“You actually can staff the department the way that meets the needs of the people,” campaign spokesperson JaNaé Bates told NPR in October. “We wanted to really be centered and focused on the safety of human beings.”

Proponents of bold reforms to policing applauded the campaign for the traction it managed to gain in the city.

Over 40% of voters saying yes this city needs to do something different with policing isn’t a loss. Folks are fighting big influence and deep pockets. It takes time to take down a juggernaut. And the status quo will fight hard to protect itself.

— Pretty Guardian Sailor Anoa 💕 (@TheWayWithAnoa) November 3, 2021

“In the dead of winter, organizers collected 22,000 signatures from across the city to put this amendment on the ballot,” said People’s Action Movement Politics director Brooke Adams and TakeAction Minnesota executive director Elianne Farhat. “Black organizers and activists have worked toward this for years before 2020, and the work for a better future where everyone can feel safe in their communities will continue.”

“Regardless of tonight’s outcome, there’s broad agreement that Minneapolis residents want more tools for public safety,” added Adams and Farhat. “There’s also consensus that the status quo is not an option.”

Radley Balko, author of “Rise of the Warrior Cop” and a Washington Post columnist, called the level of support campaigners garnered for a “radical reorganization” of policing in Minneapolis “pretty remarkable.”

Headlines will say Minneapolis rejected “defund” last night. But 46% voting for a pretty radical reorganization (it didn’t “defund”), even after a surge in murders, is pretty remarkable. Meanwhile, Albany, Cleveland & Austin all voted against the police unions, by large margins.

— Radley Balko (@radleybalko) November 3, 2021

The demand for an end to the status quo regarding policing was evident in a number of other cities including Austin, where voters overwhelmingly rejected a measure to hire hundreds more police officers—which would have required major budget cuts in other areas including firefighting, emergency health services, and libraries, according to opponents.

Sixty-eight percent of Austin voters rejected Proposition A, which was pushed by Save Austin Now, a group co-founded by the Travis County Republican Party chair. The group raised $1.7 million in its effort to add to the city’s 1,600-strong police force.

Austin Mayor Steve Adler, a Democrat, said the election reaffirmed “our community’s belief that public safety for all requires a comprehensive system that includes properly staffing our police, but also our fire, EMS, and mental health responses as well.”

“Austin’s culture and values were on the ballot tonight,” Adler said on Election Night. “At our core, we are an innovative, caring, and creative community.”

With the corporate media widely reporting that police reform was rejected in Minneapolis, ACLU deputy national political director Udi Ofer predicted that Proposition A’s defeat in Austin—by a wider margin—would receive little national attention.

Prop A in Austin, TX just passed 50% of precincts reporting, and it is being rejected by WIDE margin. This ballot would’ve required a minimum number of police officers in the city, and voters resoundingly said no. Let’s see how much the national pundits will discuss this victory pic.twitter.com/MYBVc5u9ZQ

— Udi Ofer (@UdiACLU) November 3, 2021

Voters in Cleveland, Ohio also made clear their demand for more police accountability, approving a plan to establish a Civilian Police Review Board that would investigate reports of police misconduct. The proposal, known as Issue 24, passed by a margin of 59% to 41%.

Cleveland voters have adopted Issue 24, which is meant to strengthen police overight & civilian control (per local press call by @mattwrighttv). The police leadership here fought the initiative.

— Taniel (@Taniel) November 3, 2021