>> ERIC: IN THE FIVE YEARS SINCE GEORGE FLOYD WAS KILLED BY FORMER MINNEAPOLIS POLICE OFFICER DEREK CHAUVIN, THERE HAVE BEEN CALLS FOR POLICE REFORM AND JUSTICE AROUND THE WORLD.

OUR NEXT TWO GUESTS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THOSE EFFORTS IN MINNEAPOLIS.

MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREA JENKINS HAS REPRESENTED THE 8TH WARD SINCE 2018.

FLOYD WAS MURDERED ACROSS THE STREET FROM HER WARD.

HERE TOO IS CYNTHIA ASSAM, AN ATTORNEY WHO WORKED AS A LAW CLERK AT THE MINNEAPOLIS DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL RIGHTS.

ASSAM IS PRESIDENT OF WIN BACK, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT IS PART OF FRIDAY'S "A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE."

WELL, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF POLICE RELATIONS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL?

>> WELL, THE STATUS OF POLICE RELATIONS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, I WOULD CHARACTERIZE IT AS FORMULATING STILL.

YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL AND MANY FOLKS IN OUR CITY HAVE BEEN SKEPTICAL AND TRAUMATIZED AROUND MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT I THINK THIS NEW REALITY OF PUBLIC SAFETY THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CREATE, THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH INCLUDES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, 911, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS OUR BEHAVIORAL CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM, AND THEN ALSO OUR VIOLENCE INTERRUPTERS IN THE OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY.

SO THERE'S MORE COMMUNICATION, MORE COLLABORATION, AND I THINK THAT'S HELPING TO BUILD A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNCIL.

>> Eric: COPS IN THE COMMUNITY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, BROADLY?

>> Cathy: I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HAT IN TERMS OF WHAT THE CHIEF HAD TO SAY?

>> I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.

I HAVE A QUESTION THAT I FEEL IS A BIT MORE INTERESTING, TO ME, COMING OFF OF THE HEELS OF TODAY'S DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND, OF COURSE, WE APPRECIATE, I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS THAT THE CHIEF HAD TO SHARE ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S COMMITMENT, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE ROLLBACK OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED.

BUT THINKING ABOUT HAT WE DID TODAY, WIN BACK, WE HAD OUR DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, OUR SECOND ANNUAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, HONORING GEORGE FLOYD.

AS YOU BOTH KNOW, ON THE 25th, THAT WILL MARK THE FIFTH-YEAR ANGERSARY SINCE HIS KILLING.

WHAT WE DID TODAY WAS A BEAUTIFUL OCCASION.

I ESPECIALLY FELT SO HONORED TO BE THERE WHEN WE WERE IN GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE.

SO, WHEREAS, OF COURSE, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT POLICE REFORM AND WE APPRECIATE THE COMMITMENT, THE RECOMMITMENT TO BRINGING HEALING INTO THE COMMUNITY, I'M JUST O PROUD OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE HEALING THAT WE ARE BRINGING AND CHAMPIONING FOR OURSELVES.

>> Cathy: DOES THE COMMUNITY FEEL PROTECTED?

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SAY.

I CAN'T SPEAK ON THE COMMUNITY'S BEHALF, OF COURSE.

>> Cathy: YES.

>> BUT I FEEL AS THOUGH, OU KNOW, IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH, AFTER GEORGE FLOYD'S KILLING, I THINK THAT WE SAW A HUGE SENSE OF URGENCY.

WE SAW A HUGE ENSE OF, OKAY, THERE'S NO MORE GOING TO BE POLICE VERSUS COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE TO COME TOGETHER.

BECAUSE WHAT HAS HAPPENED TODAY CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

AND, UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO SAY, AND, OF COURSE, THIS IS TAKING NOTHING AWAY, ESPECIALLY FROM OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE, ANDREA, IT'S NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM THE LEGISLATION, THE REGULATIONS, AND A LOT OF PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE, BUT, AGAIN, THINKING OF THE ROLLBACK THAT THE DOJ HAS ANNOUNCED, SOMETHING SWITCHED, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE HAS BEEN A BIT OF A RENEGE TO THE COMMITMENT THAT WAS MADE.

>> Eric: THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AT 38th AND CHICAGO, SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS.

FIVE YEARS HAVE PASSED, REALLY, NOT MUCH IS DONE AS FAR AS A REDEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE.

IS THAT HEADING TO MORE DELAY AND STUDY OR SOMETHING GOING TO HAPPEN?

WHERE ARE WE THERE?

>> WELL, THERE CERTAINLY A STUDY THAT'S GOING ON.

AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE COMPLETED IN DECEMBER.

AND WE'LL GET SOME ANSWERS.

THE STUDY IS TO REALLY LOOK AT, WILL THERE BE A PEDESTRIAN MALL AT THE SITE, AT 38th AND CHICAGO, KNOWN AS GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE?

THE BUSINESSES, WHICH THE LEGISLATURE SAYS WE HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST 75% OF THE BUSINESSES TO APPROVE AND 100% THEY SAY THEY DON'T PPROVE.

SO THE STUDY IS HAPPENING.

BUT THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING A PEDESTRIAN MALL.

SO, THERE'S STILL THIS BACK AND FORTH.

>> Eric: IT SOUNDS LIKE IT.

>> THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO COME TO CONSENSUS ABOUT.

>> Cathy: SAY, I WANT TO ASK YOU BOTH PERSONALLY SOMETHING.

NOW WE HAD THE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE.

THERE ARE A LOT OF EMOTIONS AROUND ANY ANNIVERSARY, BUT ESPECIALLY AROUND A FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY, HOW ARE YOU OTH FEELING PERSONALLY RIGHT NOW?

>> WOW.

I'VE BEEN FEELING RETRAUMATIZED IN MANY WAYS.

I'VE BEEN TALKING TO A NUMBER OF MEDIA OUTLETS AND JUST RELIVING AND RECOUNTING THE EVENTS OF MAY 25th THROUGH NOW, UP UNTIL NOW.

YOU KNOW, I LIVE TWO BLOCKS FROM WHERE GEORGE FLOYD WAS MURDERED.

SO THERE WAS A CONSTANT HUM OF HELICOPTERS, CONSTANT STREAMS OF PROTESTS AND PEOPLE COMING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY AT ALL HOURS OF THE DAY, GUNSHOTS, ET CETERA.

AND, SO, THAT HAS CALMED DOWN.

BUT TO RELIVE THOSE MOMENTS, IT'S BEEN REALLY TRAUMATIZING.

I FIND MYSELF -- I WAS DOING A MEDIA INTERVIEW WITH INSIGHT NEWS YESTERDAY, AND TEARING UP FROM HEARING FROM SOME OF THE TESTIMONIES THAT PEOPLE WERE SHARING.

IT'S REALLY STILL -- AND I KNOW, IF I'M EMOTIONAL, CERTAINLY LARGE PORTION OF OUR COMMUNITY IS STILL FEELING TRAUMATIZED AS WELL.

>> Cathy: CYNTHIA, HOW DO YOU FEEL?

>> I FEEL THE GAMUT OF EMOTIONS.

YOU KNOW, TODAY WE STARTED THE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE WITH A BRUNCH.

DURING THE BRUNCH, WE WERE ABLE TO HONOR GEORGE FLOYD'S FAMILY, SO HIS FAMILY MEMBERS WERE THERE.

ESPECIALLY AS WE WERE HANDING OUT AND OFFERING SCHOLARSHIPS TO DIFFERENT STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE COMMUNITY IN ORDER O SUPPORT THEIR EDUCATION.

AND IN HONORING THOSE STUDENTS, EACH OF THE FELLOWSHIPS THAT THEY RECEIVED WERE NAMED AFTER ELDERS IN THE COMMUNITY.

I FELT SUCH IMMENSE PRIDE IN SEEING OUR ANCESTORS BEING HONORED BY HE NEXT GENERATION, BUT TO COUNCIL WOMAN'S ENKINS' POINT OF FEELING THAT ETRAUMATIZATION, WE HAD PHILANDO CASTILE'S MOTHER THERE, OF COURSE WE HAD GEORGE FLOYD'S FAMILY THERE, AND SO IT'S NOT IN VAIN, WE TOTALLY RECOGNIZE BY ASKING THEM TO COME AND STAND FOR US FOR THIS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, IT'S RETRAUMATIZING FOR THEM, IT'S ETRAUMATIZING FOR US AS WELL.

WE HAD A MOMENT OF SILENCE AT THE GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE TODAY, WHERE HE ALSO HAD HIS AUNTS AND SOME OF HIS COUSINS THAT WERE THERE, AND I DID A GOOD JOB OF MAKEUP TODAY, I FEEL, I WAS TRYING TO HARD DURING THAT PERFORMANCE AND DURING THEIR SINGING TO NOT CRY.

I WAS JUST SWELLED AND OVERWHELMED WITH EMOTION.

AND THE THING THAT JUST KEPT RINGING BACK IN MY HEAD IS, THIS HAPPENED SO MANY TIMES BEFORE, AND DESPITE THE PROMISE OF NEVER AGAIN, IT DID HAPPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN.

>> Eric: YOU'RE NOT RUNNING AGAIN.

>> I AM NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION, IT'S TRUE.

>> Eric: AND HOW MUCH WILL POLICING BE A PART OF THE 2025 CAMPAIGN WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR UP?

IS IT A KEY ISSUE STILL?

>> I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY KEY ISSUE.

PUBLIC SAFETY IS VERY MUCH ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE CITIZENS OF MINNEAPOLIS.

>> Eric: SURE.

>> AND THEY ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CITY COUNCIL.

>> Cathy: SINCE YOU'RE NOT RUNNING AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

>> Eric: FOR SURE,