Ethics of Public Safety: Councilmember Cunningham moves the conversation beyond "Defund the Police" to shared ground and sensible policy
The Case for Transforming Public Safety in Minneapolis
We have the opportunity to create our shared vision of a safer city with the Transforming Public Safety Charter Amendment.
Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin is on trial for the murder of George Floyd this week. This Friday, March 12, the City Council will approve the Transforming Public Safety Charter Amendment to go to the Charter Commission, and then onto ballot for voters to decide the future of public safety in Minneapolis this November.
As a Northside City Councilmember, I spend the majority of my time focused on public safety issues in my community. We are no strangers to violent crimes that have stolen the lives of too many. And too many times, I have felt powerless to do anything about it because of the current City Charter structure. That’s why I am the lead author on the Transforming Public Safety Charter Amendment that will be on the ballot this November.
COLLABORATION
Why aren’t we working together?
With escalating crime last year after the murder of George Floyd and little improvement by law enforcement action alone in the months following, the City Council unanimously approved a staff direction[1] to address the concentrated violent crime in my Ward. There was intelligence that youth gun homicides in Ward 4 were connected to crimes like carjackings in other parts of the city. The type of strategy outlined in this staff direction requires fewer resources than normal police operating procedures, and has been successful in Minneapolis in the past[2].
Due to the current City Charter structure, the Mayor has both legislative and executive authority over MPD[3]. This means that MPD only must comply with City Council direction if the Mayor wills it. For what I can only assume are political reasons, the Mayor never prioritized this staff direction. MPD was never compelled to fully commit and do their part. As a result, more children were murdered.
The safety of Minneapolis children and families should not be politicized. In a new public safety ecosystem as proposed by the Transforming Public Safety Charter Amendment, a collaborative table like the one the Council tried to create with the staff direction would be embedded in the daily work structure. This new department would be able to deploy division-specific resources as needed (e.g. law enforcement to gun violence) or implement more collaborative approaches across divisions within - and outside of - the department to address increasingly complex and specific public safety challenges.
TRANSPARENCY
What happens when the Mayor alone can make MPD policy?
The Council has a very public and transparent legislative process it must go through that includes recorded committee meetings, public hearings and ultimately a majority vote for Council approval. Because the Mayor has legislative authority over MPD, policymaking doesn’t happen in the public eye like it does with the Council. The Mayor can just make new MPD policies and then do a press conference after the fact. The Mayor then also leads the implementation of that policy.
The only time the Mayor is required to report back to the public about MPD outcomes is during the yearly Budget process, which over the years has devolved into a frustrating political minefield. As a result, it is incredibly challenging to have honest and practical discussions about the health and performance of our City’s police department.
This is a systemic problem with policing in Minneapolis due to the current City Charter structure. Too many people have been left out of the conversation about how they are kept safe because of the cloaked, unilateral policymaking, lack of disciplinary oversight over MPD, and black box Police Federation contract negotiations. And the consequences of being left out of this conversation are devastating. We can and must do better.
ACCOUNTABILITY
We agree more than we disagree.
I tracked every caller at the public hearing on 2/18[4]. 48% of callers did not support moving the amendment forward to ballot this November, while 52% did. We saw a similar trend during the budget hearings last year. Hundreds of passionate residents called for more police, and just as many pleaded for a more comprehensive public safety ecosystem that includes, but de-centers, policing.
Here are the things I heard the majority of residents want:
Emergency responses tailored to each situation, such as mental health and drug overdoses.
Strategies to prevent violence, including community-centered trauma response.
Respectful, representative, well-trained, and community-centered law enforcement.
Officer wellness programs.
Significant improvements to the police misconduct disciplinary process. This includes giving the Office of Police Conduct Review more investigatory and decision making power. We all agree that we won’t tolerate another George Floyd tragedy.
We have the opportunity to create this shared vision with the Transforming Public Safety Charter Amendment.
The “14 bosses” claim is an inaccurate depiction of what this new structure would look like. The Fire Department currently has “14 bosses” and that has not impeded them providing truly excellent emergency services. Any Council direction to staff must be approved by a majority in a very public process. The Mayor would still oversee the daily activities of all Charter departments, which would include the Department of Public Safety and therefore, law enforcement. The Mayor retains this executive authority during City emergencies, as well.
More accountability has always been the goal. The difference between the current system and the proposed one is that the new Department of Public Safety would have to report back to the Council on outcomes for its activities, including law enforcement. That means that the public can help to shape the mechanisms for accountability in real-time, the same as other Charter departments. As representatives of our communities, Councilmembers could write legislation that results in better, more just outcomes because of ongoing community input.
Furthermore, policy that better reflects the needs of diverse communities will make the law enforcement profession attractive to a high-quality candidate pool. Councilmembers will be empowered to promote peace officer jobs within our communities, helping the City achieve its law enforcement recruitment diversity goals in tandem with transformative structural change.
I’ve been saying since that fateful day on the stage[5] last year that a new system of public safety will include law enforcement. There will be a careful and measured transition process to a new system that does not disrupt critical City services. We have a pathway forward. All we need is the political will to make it happen.
Let’s work together to pass the Transforming Public Safety Charter Amendment this November. I can see on the horizon our beautiful city, safer for ALL who live and work here.
Footnotes
Minneapolis City Charter - § 7.3. - Police
February 18, 2021 Public Health & Safety Committee public hearing
WCCO - CBS Minnesota - Mpls. City Council Discusses…
Image credit: Associated Press
Support my re-election and I promise to continue centering equity in our work together.
Black History Month is a Time for Gratitude and Reflection
Every Black History Month, I like to take the time to pause and reflect on the gratitude I carry in my heart for my ancestors and elders who made my existence possible.
I am the great-grandson of a slave; the grandson of a sharecropper; and the son of a tractor builder who graduated from a segregated high school. It is remarkable that, within just four generations, my family has gone from slavery to elected office.
So much history has passed during that time. So many battles fought and sacrifices have been made to make that progress. Intergenerational poverty was broken on both sides of my family because my father was able to join a workers union. While there has been significant progress in my family’s lineage, we cannot mistake this progress as evidence that racial injustice has been resolved. My story is a tree, but the oppression of Black Americans is the forest. There is still much work to be done to achieve Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of freedom and brotherhood.
In 2020, following the death of George Floyd, we saw a massive social awakening - a modern Civil Rights Movement. While it was police violence that sparked the awakening, discussions about systemic oppression overall entered the mainstream for the first time in generations. For years, I have done extensive readings and studies of Dr. King, Jr.’s writings and speeches because he is someone I have always aspired to be like. His words in 1967 still ring eerily true in 2021. In his final manuscript, Where Do We Go from Here, Dr. King wrote:
One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change. Every society has its protectors of the status quo… who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. But today our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant, and to face the challenge of change. The large house in which we live demands that we transform this worldwide neighborhood into a worldwide brotherhood. Together we must learn to live as brothers or together we will be forced to perish as fools.
So this Black History Month, take some time to reflect on whether you are awake, adjusting to new ideas, and facing the challenge of change or a “protector of the status quo.” Below are some resources for you to explore to help develop your awareness and skills to rise to the challenge Dr. King has set for us all.
Learn what white supremacy culture looks like: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/white-supremacy-culture-characteristics.html
Learn about “white fragility” and how it protects the status quo: https://libjournal.uncg.edu/ijcp/article/viewFile/249/116
Take an implicit bias test to your baseline: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
Star Tribune: With 2021 city budget, Minneapolis City Council Leaves its Mark on Police and Public Safety
I am so proud to have been the lead author on the Safety for All budget amendment!
Read about the outcome of the budget vote here
Facing the Reality of True Public Safety in Minneapolis
Protecting Minneapolis Families Requires More Than Simple Fixes And Must Include A Comprehensive Approach Of Prevention, Intervention, Enforcement, and Re-entry
There is no doubt we have been experiencing a public safety crisis in our city since the death of George Floyd. My family and I live in the middle of a hotspot ourselves, so I literally hear and see the urgency to do something about it. As a Council Member, it is my job to dig into the work to cultivate REAL safety in our community, not simply put band-aids on the problems like temporarily increasing the number of officers. History has proven that strategy will not only NOT actually address the problems in the present, but will also cause further harm to our community in the future.
For us to create real safety, we have to first unlearn what we have been taught our whole lives that policing equals public safety and public safety equals policing. We have to expand our understanding of public safety to include preventing violence before it happens, intervening in the violence taking place, targeted enforcement, and reentry supports when our neighbors are coming back to our community after being incarcerated.
If we want a REAL solution to community violence, then we have to transform our current system to include the following:
Alternative responses to 911 calls for mental health crises, opioid overdoses, and quality of life issues from homelessness
Build on the public health science of violence prevention and intervention by investing in strategies that focus on those most at-risk for being victims and/or perpetrators of violence
Targeted enforcement through problem-oriented policing for issues like open air drug markets and gang violence
Change the system of policing to better deploy resources and increase oversight and accountability, including a community panel that reviews grievances
A new Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention that would coordinate a transformed public safety system including all of the above mentioned strategies
As the Ward 4 Councilmember, I will not operate with political convenience to just make the loudest voices happy before an election, while not affecting any real, meaningful change. I am putting my heart and soul into bringing true peace and prosperity to our Northside community.
In doing so, I continue to operate with my deep principles of good governing, responsible stewardship of resources, and justice in the truest sense of the word.
I will do my part, but we can only live in a safe community if we all do our part. I am grateful to be in community with so many brilliant neighbors, and look forward to continuing in this work with you. Community Safety is one major component in making sure our children have the bright and successful future they deserve.
If you are interested in learning more about the comprehensive approach to public safety, below is a recommended reading list:
Don’t Shoot by David Kennedy
Problem-Oriented Policing and Crime Prevention by Anthony A. Braga
“The High Point Drug Market Intervention Strategy” found at https://nnscommunities.org/guides/the-high-point-drug-market-intervention-strategy-2009
“Group Violence Intervention Issues Brief” found at https://nnscommunities.org/guides/group-violence-intervention-issue-brief/
Contagion of Violence Workshop Summary by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council or as a primer on the public health approach to stopping violence read “Violence is a Contagion” at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207245/
Cunningham Launches Ward 4 Minneapolis City Council 2021 Re-Election Campaign
I am SO excited to announce that I am running for re-election in 2021!
If you like the video and support my re-election, please consider making a donation!
Creating your own Animal Kingdom by adopting through MACC
Meet our pets! How my husband and I found a lot of love and joy from our pack of eight adopted animals.
Click through the gallery to see them all!
As some of you may know, I am a very proud pet parent. Rescuing animals is a passion my husband Lane and I share. We are the parents to a pack of EIGHT. Two black cats, six dogs who range in size and breed, all rescues, all absolute characters. Our last four furbabies came to us from Minneapolis Animal Care and Control. Our home has been lovingly, rightfully dubbed “The Animal Kingdom.”
Rescuing an animal is an undertaking that requires commitment, but such a rewarding experience. Both Minnie and Beefcake have unknown backgrounds, but they came into our home very traumatized. It took time to nurse them back to health both physically and mentally. We stayed up many late nights cuddling them after they had nightmares. Now, they are two of the happiest, most loving girls you could imagine. They are loyal and just ooze gratitude and love.
That many pets may seem like a lot… and it is, but there are so many rewards from having a pet pack that size. For example:
It is so entertaining to watch them wrestle - especially between the different size dogs and Minnie and the cats.
Naps and bedtime are heavenly cuddle puddles.
When times get tough out in the world, their joy and love are a soothing balm.
If you are looking to add a furbaby to your family, please adopt don’t shop! Call 311 to be connected to Minneapolis Animal Care and Control to set up an appointment to visit the adoptable cats and dogs. You can also check out the Friends of Minneapolis Animal Care and Control Facebook page!
Remember to license and vaccinate your pets to keep them safe. MACC can help with that, too!
Reimagination of public safety should start with this principle
Dr. Gary Slutkin, a public health epidemiologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago, noticed something unexpected while conducting research: Violence spreads between community and family members like a disease.
In addition to gun violence spreading through retaliatory violence, public health experts have found that other kinds of violence also share the devastating effects of disease.
What “Stand Back and Stand By” Means for North Minneapolis
When President Trump told the Proud Boys to, “Stand back and stand by,” I looked wide-eyed at my husband in fear. After the murder of George Floyd, we saw uprisings of righteous anger in South Minneapolis near the location of Mr. Floyd’s death. On the other side of town in North Minneapolis, however, there were no protests and uprisings. Instead, we faced white supremacists coming into our city terrorizing the Black community of Minneapolis with their high-speed, lawless caravans of vehicles without license plates, toting guns, and brandishing MAGA hats.
Ranked Choice Voting Spotlight: Phillipe Cunningham
Posted by Pedro Hernandez on November 20, 2017
“[Ranked choice voting] really helped me as a marginalized person have a voice in this election. My favorite thing about ranked choice voting is that it allowed me to build relationships across bases. It wasn't just "either or." Ranked choice voting also allowed my campaign, for us, to be able to remain rooted in our values. From day one, I wanted my campaign to demonstrate the type of Councilmember that I will be. That is, to operated with integrity and be collaborative. Rather than getting caught up in the divisiveness that we typically see in traditional elections, I was able to build power and relationships across differences all across the Ward. We have a really diverse Ward in the 4th Ward.”
Read the full article here: https://www.fairvoteca.org/ranked_choice_voting_spotlight_phillipe_cunningham_mn
MPR: ChangeMakers: Phillipe Cunningham, choice to be Minnesotan 'the best'
Written by Christine T. Nguyen February 25, 2019 12:00 p.m.
“What's your vision for the future of black people in Minnesota?
I would say that the vision for black Minnesotans, and really black folks beyond, ... is for black folks to have a life of limitless possibilities because the wrongs of the past have finally and fully been made right. I would also say that the vision is for all black folks to be able to participate and prosper and that everyone has the ability to unlock their full potential.”
Read the full article here: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/02/25/changemakers-phillipe-cunningham
TC Pride Magazine: His Own Words: Phillipe Cunningham
Written March 6, 2019 by Twin Cities Pride Magazine
“I’m trying to think about solutions and some people are focused on the system as an abstract idea. I’m actually here, looking at the system itself, and seeing areas where I can work and push and pull some strings and unravel that mess. I can’t do it alone. I would love folks to deepen their analysis to a more concrete place of how we take action. A lot of times progressives are like, “We got this, we have the answers, we’re really smart and educated.” But that plays into this paternalistic dynamic. We need to do better.”
Read the full article here: https://tcpridemag.com/his-own-words-phillipe-cunningham/
A seat at the table: Phillipe Cunningham’s vision for youth and building community wealth for Ward 4
By Michael Kleber-Diggs Twin Cities Daily Planet
FEBRUARY 23, 2017 — 9:01PM
“…up until I moved to north Minneapolis, I felt like a wandering vagabond almost. I was very nomadic, and for the first time I had two feet on the ground, and I was home,” he said. “This is the first place that I felt like I was truly seen, just as a person.”
Read the full article here:
Advocate Op-ed: The Black Gay Trans Man at Minneapolis City Hall
SEPTEMBER 08 2015 6:00 AM EDT
“I could tell Minneapolis was a different kind of city when City Hall sent policy aides to the Minnesota Trans Equity Summit to recruit transgender folks to sit on boards, commissions, and committees. That was further confirmed when I met Andrea Jenkins, the black trans woman who worked at City Hall for nearly 13 years and organized the summit. She paved the way for my dreams to be possible.”
Read the full article here:
http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/09/08/op-ed-black-gay-trans-man-minneapolis-city-hall
TC DailyPlanet: Seven candidates could shift the balance of power on the Minneapolis City Council
By Cristeta Boarini | January 9, 2017
“When we’re talking about being able to stay in your home, food deserts, a living wage, that’s not just ‘left.’ That’s basic rights,” Cunningham, a young, Black and trans candidate running in Ward 4, said. “I want to be at a place where we’re not debating the humanity of our residents.”
Read the full article here: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/seven-candidates-could-shift-the-balance-of-power-on-the-minneapolis-city-council/