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News Release
HOUSE REPUBLICANS URGE ACTION TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY
ST. PAUL, MN — House Republicans held a news conference Tuesday to unveil a series of proposals to improve public safety and curb the recent spike in murders, carjackings, and other crime in the Metro area. 2020 saw violent crime spike 21% in Minneapolis and 25% in Saint Paul, and as of May, Minneapolis has seen more than double the number of murders compared to a year ago.
"Communities have been devastated over the past several weeks by a rise in murders and other senseless violence, including the loss of innocent children," said House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown. "We know Minneapolis Police are critically understaffed, but the city has refused to step up to provide the resources necessary to keep communities safe. Judges and prosecutors are also failing to hold criminals accountable with plea deals and stayed sentences, and it's hurting public safety by putting criminals back on the streets with tragic consequences."
In recent weeks, there have been multiple high-profile examples of innocent bystanders being killed in incidents involving criminals who should have been in prison. A man was killed in downtown Minneapolis by an individual who had their jail sentence stayed by a judge. The St. Thomas student killed in downtown Minneapolis last month was shot by an individual who had pleaded down a prior gun charge, and was awaiting trial for a similar shooting.
House Republicans listed a series of proposals aimed at improving public safety, including:
- Calling on Gov. Walz to bring in the State Patrol to assist in high-risk areas of Minneapolis. Former Governors Carlson and Pawlenty in 1996 and 2003 made similar moves to curb a spike in violence.
- Calling on Minneapolis to bolster their police force — which is currently down 200+ officers compared to previous years. Even when Minneapolis had more than 800 officers, Minneapolis was still behind on an officers per-capita basis compared to other similarly-sized cities. Minneapolis has more than $80 million in funding available through the federal relief dollars that could be used to bolster public safety.
- Expanded use of ShotSpotter technology so resources can be deployed to the most high-risk areas.
- Utilize federal partnerships with various Department of Justice and FBI Task Forces aimed at reducing violent crime.
- Expanded use of the Group Violence Intervention program, which is being utilized in Minneapolis to help those at most risk of being victims of gang violence.
- Pilot Programs across the state for the Community Out Post (COP) House program, which is seeing success in the St. Cloud area building police-community relations.
"Communities deserve to feel safe, and we need action to address the rising violent crime in our cities," added Rep. Brian Johnson, R-Cambridge, Republican Lead on the House Public Safety Committee. "We've been bringing forward ideas since the beginning of last year to combat crime and make sure that law enforcement has the resources needed to keep communities safe. We hope that Gov. Walz and city leaders will step up and show some leadership to address this crisis."
"Our focus isn't just on addressing the recent spike, but on improving police-community relations and making sure that law enforcement and the communities they serve can work hand-in-hand to stop crime and build trust," said Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring. "The COP House is a proven program that has been a game-changer for St. Cloud, bringing law enforcement and the community closer together and reducing crime in the process. We need those types of long-term solutions, and that's work I'm committed to continuing in the months ahead with law enforcement, non-profits, and community leaders."
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