WASHINGATON – Proponents of a failed ballot initiative to reform the Minneapolis Police Department take solace in how their movement has picked uop traction elsewhere. Momentum for reform is building in Austin, Los Aneles add Washington, said Judith Browne Dianis, executive director of the civil rights organization Advancement Project. Narrowing the scope of reform is not the answer, Dianis said. Excessive policing remains an issue, she said: “The police are still killing people.” The Minneapolis plan, to subordinate policing within a new Department of Public Safety, was defeated last week by voters. Among reform-minded activists was JaNae Bates of the Yes 4 Mpls, who called Minneapolis a catalyst for conversation that nation should not walk back on.
