Dem Rep. Demings: Minneapolis City Council ‘Very Thoughtful’ to Look at Dismantling Their Police Department

On Sunday, nine Minneapolis City Council members said that they will “begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department.”

Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), a former chief of the Orlando Police Department, on Monday, praised the council’s decision to look into dismantling their police department after George Floyd died while in Minneapolis police custody.

Demings, a potential running mate for former Vice President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, said on CBS’s “This Morning” that law enforcement “desperately” needs to change and bringing law enforcement together with the community was “long overdue.”

“There are a lot of things being proposed throughout the nation, and I think it’s the direct result of people being hurt, disappointed at what happened to Mr. Floyd, that’s all too familiar to them but also angry and demanding change,” Demings advised. “And I believe that everyone has a right to look at any proposal that is put forth because there desperately needs to be change. I also believe that the council is being very thoughtful in terms of looking at all of the services that police provide. You know, there are some cases that statutorily law enforcement is responsible for investigating. They do a lot of things associated with natural disasters and terrorism. And so what I believe, the council along with law enforcement authorities and other community leaders will sit down and look at everything and come out with a plan that allows them to keep Minneapolis safe but also bring the community and the police together in a much needed and long, overdue way.”

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent