Former Minneapolis mayors reflect on one-year anniversary of George Floyd's murder

In the year since the killing of George Floyd by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, public demands for changes to policing have grown much louder and more urgent. 

Minneapolis city leaders have promised to implement significant changes, but the pace is slower than many would like.

Mayor Jacob Frey and police Chief Medaria Arradondo have implemented a series of reforms designed to bring about officer accountability and reduce the use of deadly force by officers. But they are facing increased calls from community members to eliminate the department and create a new public safety system.

Guest host Brandt Williams led a roundtable discussion with three former mayors of Minneapolis about the city’s history of policing and how to move forward.

Guests:

• Sharon Sayles Belton is vice president of strategic partnerships and alliances at Thomson Reuters. She served as mayor of Minneapolis from 1994 to 2001.

• R.T. Rybak is president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation. He served as Minneapolis mayor from 2002 to 2013.

• Betsy Hodges is a speaker, writer and adviser based in Washington, DC.  She served as Minneapolis mayor from 2014 to 2018.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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