Trending Topics

Minneapolis takes step toward unarmed traffic enforcement

The city council voted to develop recommendations for a traffic division that would be separate from police

traffic stop generic

Getty Images

By Suzie Ziegler

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis city council has voted to start the process of designing an unarmed traffic enforcement group that would be separate from the Minneapolis Police Department.

Staff on Friday were given the green light to begin developing recommendations for a proposed Traffic Safety Division, reported FOX 9. According to the proposal, the goals for the division include “eliminating racial disparities in traffic enforcement,” “educating the public on safe driving behaviors and traffic laws,” and “earning the trust of communities who have been harmed by previous enforcement practices.”

“We urgently need traffic safety in our community,” said Councilmember Phillipe Cunningham, who submitted the proposal, in a Facebook post. “We also need for increasing traffic safety to not come at a great cost of harm to our neighbors in the process. This issue is very complex, but it is surmountable.”

https://www.facebook.com/819370504901884/posts/1787062744799317/?d=n

According to FOX 9, Cunningham’s outline dictates that staff must report back to the public health department by mid-year.

Next: State your case: Do we need traffic cops?

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU