Frey introduces community safety workgroup

Thursday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is set to introduce members of a community safety workgroup.

According to Frey’s office, the workgroup will focus on gathering community input and reflecting community safety priorities across the city’s neighborhoods.

Attorney and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong and the Rev. DeWayne Davis will co-chair the workgroup. A list of other members of the workgroup can be viewed here.

"Minneapolis deserves a critical examination of the practices, laws, and policies that underpin policing and community safety," Levy Armstrong said in a statement. "This workgroup’s focus will be on developing evidence-based, detailed proposals that reflect the different voices across our city. I look forward to working with Mayor Frey and this team to continue developing concrete change and reforms."

In a statement, Davis said, "As a city, we have the opportunity to respond – with decisive action – to the trauma and grief we’ve experienced over the last 18 months. The eyes of the world remain fixed on Minneapolis, and this workgroup will be collectively resolved to show that we are serious about instilling accountability and enacting reforms. I’m grateful to the mayor for taking on these challenges in a substantive way and look forward to the hard work ahead."

The community safety workgroup marks the third Frey is implementing as part of his second term in office.

"Minneapolis has an extraordinary opportunity to show the rest of the country that true progress is within reach," Frey said in a statement. "That’s why we’ve brought together leaders with deep expertise, community connections, and—most importantly—varied perspectives on the same goal: a safer, more just Minneapolis. By setting aside politics and honing in on outcomes, we will be well-positioned to enact lasting, meaningful change in our city."

Last month, Frey introduced members of separate government structure and economic recovery workgroups responsible for advising on "the new government structure, community safety strategies, and reform, and inclusive economic recovery."