The city of Minneapolis is planning to spend $4.8 million over the next three years on a temporary police station after its Third Precinct burned during unrest that followed the death of George Floyd.
The city’s precinct building was set on fire by rioters after Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo ordered officers to evacuate the station on May 28. The arson occurred three days after Floyd, a black man, died after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes while taking him into custody. All four Minneapolis police officers who had a role in the killing of Floyd are facing criminal charges.
A city council committee approved the proposal, which includes $3.6 million for a 3-year sublease (an estimated $1.2 million per year) and an estimated $1.2 million for renovations, on Thursday, according to Minnesota Public Radio. The proposal notes that the city would be on the hook to pay for repairs or rebuilding the property “if it is extensively damaged due to civil unrest.” Since the Third Precinct burned, officers and staff have been working remotely and at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
The future of Minneapolis’ police department remains an open question.
Nine members of the Minneapolis City Council — a veto-proof majority — announced support for replacing its police department with a new public safety system at a rally in June. But plans to put a proposal on the ballot for Nov. 3 were put on hold after a court-appointed commission passed a 90-day delay on considering eliminating the city’s charter mandating that it maintains a certain number of police officers per capita.
“One of the things I think this lease will give us is some space and some breathing room in terms of what we’ll do with the 3rd Precinct building itself, and that’s been a topic of great discussion,” Council Member Cam Gordon told Minnesota Public Radio.
*story by Business Insider