At least seven members of the Minneapolis Police Department have resigned amid the growing demonstrations in response to the killing of George Floyd. Department insiders have told the Minneapolis Tribune that the departures stem from a declining morale within the department.
“Why should I stay?” Retired Minneapolis Police Officer Mylan Masson asked
“They don’t feel appreciated. Everybody hates the police right now. I mean everybody,” Masson continued.
The news comes as the nation continues to protest police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s killing at the hands of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin. In addition, the three officers present at the time of Floyd’s death have also been charged. In the wake of these developments, the city council has voted to disband the police force in the area. As a result, mass departures from the department are becoming more and more common.
“During this busy and trying time I have heard secondhand information that there have been employees that have advised their supervisors that they separated with the city (or quit) without completing paperwork,” Deputy Chief Henry Halvorson wrote in an e-mail obtained by the Star-Tribune.
“We need to have the process completed to ensure that we know who is continuing to work,” the email reads.
Moving forward, the city council will continued to battle Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey about the future of law enforcement in the area and what it will look like.
