3 Minneapolis City Council members consider 'dismantling' police department

Three Minneapolis City Council members are calling for the "dismantling" of the city's police department and plan to start their discussions on the idea Friday afternoon at an emergency meeting of the city council.

City Council President Lisa Bender and council members Steve Fletcher and Jeremiah Ellison all stated on social media they supported the idea of disbanding the Minneapolis Police Department.

"It is time to start reimagining how we police because things have failed," Ellison said. "I think that part of the imagining has to mean that we consider if policing is needed at all and in what form, if so."

Mayor Jacob Frey told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he supports deep, cultural reform of the Minneapolis police but does not agree the department should be scrapped and rebuilt. He says real reform could come during current contract talks with the Minneapolis Police Federation.

"And, it is needed to figure out how to provide necessary discipline and termination so that we can have the culture shift and the accountability measures in place that are so necessary," Frey said.

The city council's emergency meeting starts at 12:30 p.m. Friday.