JUST IN: Vote to ‘Defund the Police’ in Minneapolis FAILS

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A public referendum to defund the Minneapolis Police Department failed on Tuesday.

Had it succeeded, the police department would have been replaced with a Department of Public Safety.

At least 57 percent of voters rejected the proposal, with 94 percent of the vote reported.

This Department of Public Safety would have been “responsible for integrating its public safety functions into a comprehensive public health approach to safety. including licensed peace officers if necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the department.”

The measure came about in the aftermath of the 2020 case of George Floyd, a Black man whose knee a police officer placed a knee on, suffocating him to death. That officer, Derek Chauvin, was convicted in April and sentenced in June to 22.5 years in prison for Floyd’s death. Floyd’s death led to protests, riots, and calls to “Defund the Police” nationwide.