Minneapolis council revives talk of replacing police department, banning no-knock warrants

Despite having their power to oversee policing diminished by voters, the Minneapolis City Council revived talks Monday about replacing the Police Department and instituting a ban on no-knock warrants after the killing of Amir Locke by a police officer last week.

At the council's Policy and Government Oversight Committee, council members convened a conversation about no-knock search warrants and the implications of carrying out those practices, bringing together legal authorities, including attorneys for Locke's family and Mayor Jacob Frey.

"This council is not empowered to make policy on policing," said Council Member Jeremiah Ellison, chair of the committee. "That power lies solely in the hands of the mayor. But this doesn't absolve any of us from utilizing the tools that we have, as actors within this institution to generate accountability, to be transparent with the public to make the best information known and to be a part of the solution in making our city safe for everyone."

https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-council-revives-talk-of-replacing-police-department-banning-no-knock-warrants/600144178/