Decriminalizing possession of drug syringes, pipes approved by Minneapolis council

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - An ordinance to decriminalize the possession of drug paraphernalia narrowly passed the Minneapolis City Council, meaning items such as syringes and glass pipes would not be considered criminal if signed into law by Mayor Jacob Frey.

Minneapolis City Council votes to decriminalize drug paraphernalia possession 

What they're saying:

The ordinance passed with a 7-6 vote, with the debate focusing on the balance between harm reduction, public safety and the tools available to law enforcement.

Ward 7 Councilmember Elizabeth Shaffer voted against the ordinance, saying police often use the presence of paraphernalia as evidence of other crimes, such as narcotics sales.

"We will be taking a tool out of our law enforcement toolkit, and we will be making our community less safe," Councilmember Shaffer said. "When it comes to public health, we need to be honest about what this phrase actually means. Public health is not just about the health of the people engaged in the behavior being regulated. It encompasses the well-being of the entire community, including people who are not using drugs or choose not to be proximate to drug use. That includes the child at the bus stop, the small business owner watching customers walk past a corner where people are visibly using the resident who wants to take their family to the park without encountering used needles. Their health and safety are a public health concern, too, and an analysis that doesn't weigh those harms alongside the harms of criminalization isn't really a full public health analysis. It's a partial one."

Ward 10 Councilmember Aisha Chughtai voted in favor of the measure, saying, "We are not decriminalizing the use of drug paraphernalia in public. We're decriminalizing the possession of drug paraphernalia. Those things are different from one another. Drug use in public continues to be illegal, even with the passage of this policy."

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey shared the following statement on the council vote:

"Compassion means meeting people where they’re at, but it doesn’t mean anything goes. The Mayor has long supported approaches — from low-barrier housing and shelter to our Mobile Medical Unit — to give people suffering from addiction care and treatment. But we can’t let open-air drug use make our streets and transit less safe and our businesses close."

By the numbers:

The ordinance carried with votes of approval from council members Chughtai, Chowdhry, Chavez, Whiting, Payne, Stevenson and Wonsley.

The remaining council members, Rainville, Vetaw, Warren, Osman, Shaffer, and Palmisano voted against the measure. 

Council members Elliott Payne, Robin Wonsley, Soren Stevenson, Chavez, Aisha Chughtai, Jamison Whiting and Aurin Chowdhry voted in favor of the ordinance.