The Minneapolis Police Department has lost nearly 300 officers since 2020, and the city is trying to fund a budget that replaces those officers and protects residents from an increase in violent crime.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s 2022 recommended budget would increase the Minneapolis Police Department’s (MPD) budget by $27 million, or 17%, if approved by the City Council.
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The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is short by over 200 officers due in part to the defund the police movement, according to the MPD Union president. She said that they should have around 888 officers, but their current staffing numbers are under 600 total officers.
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A group of north Minneapolis residents said they feel like they live in a “war zone” in an open letter to Gov. Tim Walz this week.
“North Minneapolis, the most diverse part of the state, is a war zone, with a child murdered, a man killed when a barbershop was shot-up in broad daylight, a school teacher executed by fully automatic gunfire, a drive by shooting across an elementary school playground with children at recess, a bus evacuated after being shot at. All this in little more than a week,” says the letter.
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The Minneapolis neighborhood where the University of Minnesota is located has seen a notable crime drop after increasing its police presence.
According to The Minnesota Daily, the total number of “property and violent crimes” in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood has fallen from a peak of 129 in May to 80 in August — a 38 percent decrease.
As previously reported by both The Daily and The College Fix, Marcy-Holmes residents became particularly concerned about the level of crime following a June 19 shooting that injured three U of M students.
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A group of Minneapolis residents sent an open letter to Governor Tim Walz (D) asking that he send in the National Guard or State Troopers, calling Minneapolis “a war zone.” The group of 26 residents said that they have been living amidst violence for long enough. As was reported by WCCO, Walz responded to the letter on Wednesday saying that“he shares their urgency to want to improve public safety, but that the state patrol and National Guard are not a substitute for a qualified, local police department.”
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The Minnesota Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s decision to strike down a ballot initiative asking whether voters want to replace the Minneapolis Police department with a department of public safety.
The ballot question, sparked by the May 2020 killing of George Floyd in police custody, weighs a more significant problem of how police balance public safety and enforcing crimes. After Floyd’s death, most of the City Council said they intended to dismantle the police department and replace it with a different model. The council pushed a plan to do so, but on Tuesday, Hennepin County Judge Jamie Anderson struck down the ballot language summary, saying it was “unreasonable and misleading.”
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The ruling for a former Minneapolis police officer, Mohamed Noor, who fatally shot a woman in 2017 was overturned, removing a third-degree murder conviction. Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and sentences to 12.5 years. As was reported by ABC News, Noor shot and killed “Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a dual U.S.-Australian citizen who called 911 to report a possible sexual assault behind her home.”
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After a legal challenge, a ballot question on Minneapolis’ November election ballot has be struck down in court.
“Tuesday morning, a Hennepin County judge tossed the initially approved language by the Minneapolis City Council to be on the November ballot regarding the public safety charter amendment,” KTSP said.
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After a legal challenge, a ballot question on Minneapolis’ November election ballot has be struck down in court.
“Tuesday morning, a Hennepin County judge tossed the initially approved language by the Minneapolis City Council to be on the November ballot regarding the public safety charter amendment,” KTSP said.
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Hennepin County Sheriff candidate Jai Hanson told Minneapolis residents to vote no on the Yes 4 Minneapolis police charter amendment. In a tweet, Hanson said “Politicians like Keith Ellison and Ilhan Omar want to pass the amendment because they’re only interested in dismantling the police, not public safety.”
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Representative Angie Craig (D-02-MN) has spoken in opposition of an initiative moving forward in Minneapolis to replace the Minneapolis Police Department. The initiative, sponsored by a group called Yes 4 Minneapolis, would essentially replace the Minneapolis Police Department with public safety and mental health professionals.
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The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) will be reducing the enforcement of some low-level traffic violations which officials say will help address racial disparities. According to an internal memo from Police Chief Medaria Arradondo that was obtained by Bring Me The News, there are three main low-level violations that the Minneapolis Police Department will no longer enforce: “Expired tabs, an item dangling from a mirror, or not having a working license plate light.”
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A judge ordered that an explanation about replacing the Minneapolis police be removed from the ballot. The explanation was supported by Major Jacob Frey and city officials, who said that the people deserved to understand what they were voting for. The ballot question, put up by Yes 4 Minneapolis, seeks to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a Department of Public Safety.
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The Minnesota Supreme Court denied an appeal that was seeking to overturn the ruling requiring Minneapolis to hire more police officers. As reported by The Minnesota Sun, some city attorneys asked “the state Supreme Court to step in and offer an ‘accelerated review’ of the case ruling that ordered the city to hire more police officers. The attorneys are planning to challenge the order requiring Minneapolis to hire at least 730 police officers by next summer, saying it is ‘necessary to clarify the meaning of the provision’ before elections are held in November.”
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The battle over a November ballot measure to replace the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is now subject to a lawsuit, as anti-police activists cry foul.
“The Yes 4 Minneapolis campaign filed a lawsuit against the city and the city clerk’s office,” Fox 9 reported. “The group accuses the city of ‘attempting to mislead voters’ about a proposed amendment that would replace the MPD with a department of public safety.”
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Some Minneapolis city officials are seeking to overturn a ruling made by a judge requiring the city to hire more police officers. In a recent court case, Judge Jamie Anderson ruled that the city of Minneapolis had until the end of June 2022 to have at least 730 police officers on staff. That number is based on population levels and the ratio of residents to officers required in the city’s charter agreement with the Minneapolis Police Department. As reported by The Minnesota Sun, “Minneapolis’s city charter mandates the city fund a police force of at least 0.0017 employees per resident, according to the lawsuit. The city, which is projected to only have a police force of 649 officers by the beginning of 2022, failed to fulfill its duties under its charter, according to the order.”
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A former Minneapolis police officer started a nonprofit with the goal of helping fellow officers to overcome PTSD. Former Officer Chris Steward served the Minneapolis Police Department for over 14 years. Steward said, “This was my opportunity to serve the community that I loved and respected. I love my profession. I loved the people I served. I loved the people I worked with.”
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A foundation that is run by George Soros is helping to fund the Yes 4 Minneapolis initiative which is seeking to replace the Minneapolis Police Department. An arm of George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, the Open Society Policy Center, donated $500,000 to Yes 4 Minneapolis. The Star Tribune reported that, “On Nov. 5, the executive director of Local Progress e-mailed Council President Lisa Bender, introducing her to Gretchen Rohr, who was leading a team at the Open Society Foundations working on justice-related programs in Minneapolis.” Local Progress, a national group that’s goal is to help progressive politicians share their ideas, is also funded in part by George Soros’ organization.
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The Minneapolis City Council is frustrated over the slow review of the city’s response to the unrest in 2020. Minneapolis was plagued by riots as well as peaceful protests after the death of Goerge Floyd on May 25, 2020. Due to the massive amounts of damage and the repercussions of the violence, the city contracted a third party consulting group to assess the city’s response to the situation. As reported on FOX 9, “A final report and its recommendations aren’t due until January of next year but some city council members say that’s too long to wait.”
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The Minneapolis City Council made steps to move forward with an amendment which could potentially replace the Minneapolis Police Department. According to FOX 9, “under the plan, the police department would be replaced in the charter with a public safety department but doesn’t outline how the department will work or be structured.” The amendment that passed the policy and government oversight committee was put together by a local community advocacy group called Yes 4 Minneapolis Committee.
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Minneapolis residents spoke about their concerns regarding the rising violence in Minneapolis after the 50th homicide of 2021. As was reported on WCCO, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arrandondo and Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson held a community conversation where they heard the concerns of the citizens of Minneapolis.
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The organization Twin Cities Pride is asking the city of Minneapolis to remove the requirement that large events be staffed with police officers. In a statement on the Twin Cities Pride website, it said it has “joined the chorus of community voices to strongly call on the City of Minneapolis to suspend the current requirement for event planners and organizers to contract with off-duty Minneapolis Police Department officers for security at large events.”
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After the Star Tribune did a report regarding some destroyed records from the Minneapolis Police Department’s 2nd precinct, an investigation was opened regarding the circumstances surrounding the destruction. The officers involved got rid of files while the 3rd precinct was burning after being looted just blocks away. The report reads investigators disposed of “inactive case files, search warrants and records of confidential informants.”
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In Minneapolis, the staffing shortage for police officers has reached new lows. According to a statement by the head of the Minneapolis Police Department union, there are many days that are staffed well below the minimum requirement.
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The uncle of Darnella Frazier, the Minneapolis teenager who was recently awarded an honorary Pulitzer for filming the viral video of the arrest of George Floyd, which led to his death at the hands of ex-Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, has died after a collision with police.
While officers from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) were pursuing a suspect in an armed robbery Tuesday morning, one officer’s squad car struck an unrelated vehicle.
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Council members Steve Fletcher, Phillipe Cunningham and Jeremy Schroeder withdrew the proposal they had written to replace the police force with a new agency, a Department of Public Safety. The City Council members withdrew their proposal after a community group also came forward with a similar proposal that made it onto the November ballot which would replace police with a community-led group.
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A recent audit of the Minneapolis police department shared areas in need of reform. Minneapolis city officials and Minneapolis Police leaders made up the audit committee and they presented the findings this week. City Council Member Linea Palmisano said, “Today’s report offers a path forward for ensuring influential Field Training Officer roles are staffed by officers who embody core community values.” She went on to say that the findings of the report and the resulting action will work to create “meaningful change.”
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Due to the huge wave of violent crime sweeping Minneapolis, the City Council Committee has recommended that the Minneapolis Police Department receive $5 million in overtime funds after major budget cuts were implemented following the death of George Floyd.
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo requested that the Minneapolis City Council assist in funding the projected $9.5 million dollar overtime bill for the Minneapolis Police Department. Overtime for officers during the murder trial of ex-Police Officer Derek Chauvin alone totaled over $2.9 million, due in part to a shortage of officers.
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Ramped-up security during the three weeks of Derek Chauvin’s trial cost taxpayers nearly $3 million, the Minneapolis Police Department said Thursday.
Citing unexpected costs, Police Chief Medaria Arradondo asked the Minneapolis City Council for an additional $5 million.
The MPD has 632 sworn officers, down from 845 one year ago — a 25% drop — to protect the 425,000-person city that’s fighting spiking violent crime.
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Minneapolis just announced a new community safety program in an attempt to stop the increase in violence that has occurred over the last year.
This new initiative is backed by the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, as well as other leaders in the community. The goal is to help stop the explosion of gun crime in recent days, through an effort called Community Safety Specialists (CSS).
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Top police organizations and unions will reportedly express concern to Attorney General Merrick Garland about his racism probe into the Minneapolis Police Department, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The groups are expected to confront Garland and other Justice Department (DOJ) officials about the investigations during a meeting Friday afternoon, the WSJ reported. While many of the groups’ leaders have endorsed various police reforms since George Floyd’s death last year, they worried a broad probe would be unproductive and hurt rank-and-file officers.
“We recognize that there needs to be more oversight, there needs to be some reform in place, but we need DOJ to work with us because there has to be buy-in from the line men and women who do this job,” David Mahoney, president of the National Sheriffs’ Association and sheriff of Dane County, Wisconsin, told the WSJ.
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U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the Justice Department launched a sweeping investigation into practices of the Minneapolis Police Department.
Garland’s announcement came one day after a jury convicted ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin of the murder of George Floyd.
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A state prosecutor and the defense attorney for former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin presented their opening arguments in Chauvin’s murder trial Monday morning.
Chauvin is accused of killing George Floyd during an arrest in May of last year. The trial is being live-streamed from inside the courtroom.
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The Minneapolis City Council Friday approved a plan to pay social media “influencers” cash to spread city-approved messages during the trial of former Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officer Derek Chauvin.
“The Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously Friday to approve a $1 million communications and de-escalation plan that involves partnering with community leaders, local media and social media influencers during Chauvin’s trial set to begin in March, as well the August trial of three other former officers charged in [George] Floyd’s death,” Fox News reported.
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The city of Minneapolis will spend nearly more than six million dollars recruiting new police officers, after beginning 2021 with 200 fewer officers than one year prior.
“Minneapolis will hire dozens more police officers after the City Council on Friday agreed to release $6.4 million to bring on additional recruits,” The Star-Tribune reported.
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Three police organizations representing more than 10,000 police officers, 300 police chiefs, and 87 county sheriffs offices sent a letter to the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Safety, Criminal Justice Reform, Finance and Policy Division remaining non-committal over whether they’ll assist the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) during the upcoming trial of former MPD officer Derek Chauvin.
“We are writing on behalf of the largest statewide law enforcement associations in Minnesota,” the letter said. “Together the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association (MCPA), The Minnesota Sheriff’s Association (MCA), and the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA) represent more than 300 police chiefs, 87 county sheriff’s, and approximately 10,400 rank-and-file officers respectively.”
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The Minneapolis Police Department is in dire straights as it prepares for possible violence during the trial of one of its former officers.
“Minneapolis has about 200 fewer police officers available to work as the city tries to rebound from a violent year and prepare for more potential unrest,” The Star-Tribune reported. “In the short term, the city is seeking aid from other law enforcement agencies as it plans for the March trial for former Officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with killing George Floyd.”
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Minneapolis City Councilmember Phillipe Cunningham once claimed that “community engagement” is key to defunding the police. Now, Cunningham has canceled his “Community Office Hours” after facing backlash due to the council’s efforts to defund law enforcement.
Cunningham has served on the council since 2017, when he became the second female-to-male transgender person elected to public office in the U.S. Cunningham also took a key role in the push to amend the City Charter to defund the police in June, and presently heads up the continued action towards this goal.
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Rep. Ilhan Omar said the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is low on officers because cops are “unwilling to work.”
MPD just began 2021 with about 200 fewer officers than it had at the start of 2020 after losing 105 cops during a year filled with riots and anti-police sentiment. During a usual year, the department would expect to lose just over 40 officers. The city now has just 638 active officers.
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The Minneapolis City Council voted to cut $8 million from the Police Department (MPD) in their 2021 budget. However, the Council also also added a caveat to allow for additional future police recruitment, likely dodging a veto from Mayor Jacob Frey.
In a 7-6 vote Wednesday night, the council’s decision doesn’t change the number of officers in 2021, but sets a higher target number for replacing officers who are currently out on leave for post-traumatic stress disorders or other reasons with the council’s authorization.
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The Minneapolis City Council has voted to divert millions of dollars from the 2021 police budget.
The vote was taken as carjackings are up 537% year-to-date, according to the Star Tribune.
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Five months ago, the Minneapolis City Council vowed to “dismantle” their police department.
But this week, the council voted 7-6 to advance a measure to temporarily hire between 20 and 40 additional officers from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and Metro Transit Police to respond to violent 911 calls.
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One section of the leaked manifesto, titled “Theory of What Will Happen,” declares that “mass mobilization will and must happen in Minnesota to defend democracy.”
A leaked document allegedly created by TakeAction Minnesota warns of “mass mobilization” and “unrest” in Minneapolis if President Donald Trump is reelected, or if the results of the election are contested.
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Black Lives Matter protesters who marched through the streets of Minneapolis Tuesday night called for shooting the police.
“No justice, no peace. Shoot back at the police,” the crowd of protesters chanted four times before a new chant was started.
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More than 60 Minneapolis residents signed up to speak their minds at the two-hour virtual meeting, grilling council members on their “irresponsible rhetoric” and failure to adequately staff the Minneapolis Police Department.
“We should all know as adults that words such as ‘defund,’ ‘dismantle,’ and ‘abolish’ have severe consequences. We are a city in crisis and need action now,” said one resident who lives in the Loring Park neighborhood.
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A suspect in a shooting that killed congressional candidate Lacy Johnson’s 17-year-old staffer and wounded another was arrested today.
Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) reported that they apprehended the suspect after a short vehicle chase. MPD attempted to stop the suspect’s vehicle in Minneapolis; they caught him about twenty minutes west in Plymouth.
The victims in a Monday afternoon shooting in north Minneapolis had also worked for Republican Lacy Johnson’s congressional campaign, but the two facts are unrelated, the campaign told Alpha News.
According to a press release from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), officers responded to a shooting in the area of the 3800 block of Fremont Avenue North around 4:30 p.m. Monday afternoon.
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Two Minneapolis citizens appear desensitized to their city’s worsening crime in a viral video of a downtown shootout early Sunday morning. The Uber driver’s dash cam recorded the incident.
The interaction between the female passenger and Uber driver is calm despite the violence occurring in front of them.
Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN-5) stated that the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) hasn’t solved half the homicides and destroys rape kits. Because of this, she says, the MPD should be dismantled.
“We can reimagine a public safety system that empowers and provides safety for every person in our city regardless of the color fo their skin or zip code,” the freshman congresswoman tweeted. “Dismantling the Minneapolis Police Department is necessary in order to heal and move forward as a community.”
A Minneapolis police officer dropped to the ground after a metal trash can lid struck him in the head during a resurgence of rioting and looting in the city Wednesday.
The attack, which was reportedly broadcast on Facebook Live, showed a cop trying to open his driver’s-side door before the metal disk whizzed through the air and connected with the back of the unsuspecting officer’s head, according to the New York Post. The uniformed officer dropped to the ground and appeared to be rolling in pain, as fellow law enforcement in riot gear made their way to him, the Post’s video showed.
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