Three members from the Minneapolis City Council had made a decision to vote for the disestablish of the department of the police. With this decision, the council members knew that they would be putting their positions at risk. Be that as it may, the members never would have thought that their very lives would be threatened by “white nationalists” and a variety of different white supremacist groups that are fighting against Black Lives Matter.
Since there were so many death threats, the city council members Alondra Cano, Andrea Jenkins, and Phillipe Cunningham are being protected by personal security that will be paid by the taxpayers which are the people who funded the police department. The protection will cost $4,300 per day with a total being $63,000 for three weeks.
The vote was won by 12-0 in order to defund the police for personal security once the news of the death threats had become public. This is when the announcement that the three members would need fully funded taxpayer protection. The idea had originally come from a group of politicians who are hoping that they can replace police officers with “peace officers” that will have a new approach to the safety of the public that will not harm any unarmed Black Americans that currently have fear for their lives.
Since the George Floyd incident, the Minneapolis Police Department has been hated by many and have not gained any trust from any of the townspeople. There are many that have agreed that the police department should be replaced with a “department of community safety and violence prevention.”
Because of all the threats by white nationalists, Phillipe Cunningham refused to give any further information about her security. Phillipe has said, ” I do not feel very reassured about sharing the threats are being said to me or the quantity of security I currently have that is protecting me from those threats.”
Alondra Cano was also advised not to discuss the amount of security that she has or give any specifics about the threats she has received.
Andrea Jenkins, on the other hand, has announced that her threats have been through social media, letters, and emails. She said that the white supremacists have insulted her about her gender identity, ethnicity, and sexuality. She stated, “My largest concern is that there is a larger number of white nationalists in our city and other threatening communication I’ve been receiving.” Jenkins had been asking for extra security since the year of 2018 when she had first been given the position as a Council member.
The police department in Minneapolis has not been informed about the threats because they are seen as untrustworthy, which is why the security that will be given to the Councilmembers will be from private companies that have no relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department.
Mark Ruff, the City Coordinator, and Lisa Bender, the City Council President, have not made any statements or comments about the added security or the threats they have received. The City Council does not have to give an agreement to security unless the funding becomes more than $175,000.
