Through every protest, no matter what the topic is, we want change. And in Minneapolis, change is the plan.

A new citizen petition, written by Yes4Minneapolis has arose in Minneapolis. It asks for the replacement of the current Minneapolis police department with a new public safety department that aims to integrate a public-health approach to safety. 

According to CBS Minnesota, members of the Minneapolis City Council introduced a similar proposal, that will go to the city’s charter commission, which is expected to give a recommendation to the city council by July, allowing enough time for the city to put the amendment on the November ballot.

According to the Sahan Journal, the charter can be amended in three ways: through the Charter Commission, the City Council or through a citizen petition, which would require signatures from at least 5% of Minneapolis voters. 

Minneapolis citizens would vote on a proposed amendment that gets onto the ballot through one of those three avenues.

Corenia Smith, the campaign manager for Yes4Minneapolis, said in an interview with Sahan Journal that “until this happens, the organization will begin canvassing for support of its own community petition.”

Even though there is a chance this amendment won’t pass, it is the first step to change. 

In June of 2020, millions of people gathered together to support the Black Lives Matter movement after the death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. 

Even though protests are over, we must continue to demand change.  

After months of protesting, national polls show that the support for the movement has drastically decreased, according to the New York Times.

Just because some changes are slowly being made doesn’t mean we can forget about the movement until the next tragic incident happens. 

Think about the 9-year-old girl pepper sprayed by police during a mental health crisis. She needed help not punishment.

We must demand change in police departments. 

Minneapolis is heading in the right direction, but we can’t be satisfied until there’s change everywhere—even here in Monroe. 

Out of sight, out of mind doesn’t work in this case. We must continue to stand together even when we aren’t in times of tragedy. That is when we will get things accomplished.