Policing Issues — Reform, dismantle, defund? September 2020 Discussion Topic

There are We The People programs on policing available for members to watch.  In the program featuring Nekima Levy-Armstrong, she references 4 reports/articles that can be used to further discussion.

Prepare

• Watch We the People: Policing Issues, Part 1Watch the We the People interview with Minneapolis civil rights attorney and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong which references Minnesota laws on policing and police reform legislation passed July 2020 [60 minutes]. As time permits, review these background documents recommended by Ms. Levy Armstrong:
  • Metro Transit Arrest – Star Tribune
  • ACLU Picking Up the Pieces
  • Minneapolis for a Better Police Contract
  • Communities United Against Police Brutality

• Watch the August 5 Minneapolis City Charter Commission meetingWatch the meeting from August 5, a very informative discussion of their views of the proposed amendment to remove the police department from the Minneapolis Charter  [1 hour 33 minutes; starts at about 07:45 minutes]

• Watch We the People: Policing Issues Part 2Watch the We the People interview featuring Kandace Montgomery, Director, Black Visions Collective and Don Samuels, former board member, Minneapolis City Council and Minneapolis Public Schools, both community activists working to move forward after the Minneapolis Charter Commission voted to table the City Council proposal on policing [55 minutes]

• Watch We the People: Policing Issues, Part 3Watch Rep. Carlos Mariani, City Councilor Linea Palmisano, and Professor Steven Rushin discuss police contracts in Minneapolis and how to incentivize fewer incidents of police brutality.