Following more than three years of campaigning for their cause, which included gathering more than 10,000 signatures, a grassroots group will have just more than a week to gather thousands more to reach their goal.

On Thursday, the City of Minneapolis, led by the city clerk, updated the City Council that the group Minneapolis for Community Control of Police did not have enough valid voter signatures, being 3,498 short.

The group’s goal is to change the city charter by getting a question on the November ballot asking voters to approve a community-led group called the Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC) to have sweeping power over the Minneapolis Police Department.

CPAC would be a 13-member elected commission that would, among other things, have authority on police policy, the ability to investigate misconduct and the ability to fire the chief of police. The group is also calling on members to have offices at police precincts and receive the same six-figure salary current City Council members receive.

“We have a policing problem in this city that is so tremendous, it needs the full attention of a set of individuals who that’s their one job,” said Jess Sundin, organizer with Minneapolis for Community Control of Police.

Sundin says while they expected some problems, they did not expect it to this magnitude. The group has 10 days from May 9 to get the nearly 3,500 signatures.

Ward 3 City Council Member Michael Rainville says he feels this effort is too extreme.

“The basic idea has some pretty strong suggestions in there. It would be very costly,” said Rainville, who sits on the Public Health and Safety Committee.

He has confidence in the work current city leaders have put forth surrounding policing — including the investments into the court-enforceable agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and a federal consent decree with the Department of Justice.

As for the grassroots group, it says it’s already working to get the needed signatures and they haven’t ruled out taking legal action.