Lisa Bender Accuses Minneapolis Police Chief Of Ethics Violation

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender has filed an ethics complaing against the police chief, Medaria Arradondo, after he issued a searing rebuke of ballot question No. 2 in a news conference Wednesday.

Bender told the Star Tribune she is "worried that the mayor and chief of police are sending a message that our ethics rules are a joke, and there's no consequences to breaking them."

Ballot question No. 2 asks voters to dismantle and replace the city's police department with a new, yet-to-be designed "Department of Public Safety."

Standing in front of media members in full uniform, Arradondo Wednesday said that the amendment proposed by the city council is dangerously vague and that it would not fix the issues with public safety in the city — including "tragic incidents" between residents and officers.

"To vote on a measure of reimagining public safety without a solid plan and an implementation or direction of work. This is too critical of a time to wish and hope for that help that we need so desperately right now," he said.

"I was not expecting some sort of robust, detailed word-for-word plan, but at this point quite frankly, I would take a drawing on a napkin. And I have not seen either."

Arradondo also said the city is "flatlining" because the city council has not provided his department with enough resources to fight crime.

Here is how the ballot amendment is written:

City Question 2

Department of Public Safety

Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to remove the Police Department and replace it with a Department of Public Safety that employs a comprehensive public health approach to the delivery of functions by the Department of Public Safety, with those specific functions to be determined by the Mayor and City Council by ordinance; which will not be subject to exclusive mayoral power over its establishment, maintenance, and command; and which could include licensed peace officers (police officers), if necessary, to fulfill its responsibilities for public safety, with the general nature of the amendments being briefly indicated in the explanatory note below, which is made a part of this ballot?

YES ______NO ______

Explanatory Note:

This amendment would create a Department of Public Safety combining public safety functions through a comprehensive public health approach to be determined by the Mayor and Council. The department would be led by a Commissioner nominated by the Mayor and appointed by the Council. The Police Department, and its chief, would be removed from the City Charter. The Public Safety Department could include police officers, but the minimum funding requirement would be eliminated.

The chief's comments come days before the issue will be decided on the Nov. 2 election. The ballot amendment has divided the state's top Democrats.

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith last week announced that she will be voting "no" on Minneapolis ballot question No. 2, which asks residents if they want to dismantle the city's police department and replace it with a new "Department of Public Safety."

Smith joined Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Angie Craig as Minnesota Democrats who oppose changing the city charter to remove the police department. The Star Tribune editorial board also said that removing the Minneapolis Police Department is a "recipe for chaos and infighting."

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison have both endorsed the amendment

And at least 36 businesses in Minneapolis have endorsed voting "yes" to the proposal.