AJ Awed came to Minneapolis a decade ago, after immigrating from Somalia to Virginia. He practices mediation in the Hennepin County court system as a fellow with the American Arbitration Association. To view more information about his campaign and policy platform, visit aj4us.com.
QUESTIONS
1. Do you believe that we could ever have a city without police? (YES or NO only, please)
Yes
2. What would you do, as an elected official, to bring us closer to police abolition?
I am an abolitionist. I believe we need to disarm, defund, and abolish the MPD. I envision replacing the MPD with a new agency staffed by people trained in de-escalation tactics, social workers, and mental health practitioners.
As we abolish the police, we must simultaneously invest in violence prevention. I will take money from the bloated police budget to fund the expansion of public housing so that none of our neighbors are sleeping on the streets or in parks. I will allocate funding for people struggling with drug addiction to receive culturally appropriate treatment and healing, and I will work to ensure that everyone in the city has access to a livable wage job, healthcare, and mental healthcare. At the end of the day, we cannot prevent violence without addressing the root causes of it. Ultimately, that means we must erase Minneapolis’ racial and economic disparities and undo racial capitalism.
Contact info for voters:
Voters can send me an email at [email protected] or they can send a FB message.
Residents of Ward 6 — make your voice heard!
The special election in Ward 6 ends on August 11.
Click here for more information on the other candidates!