Minneapolis Mayor Asks State Lawmakers For Police Funding

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry and other leaders in Hennepin County on Wednesday press state lawmakers to pass Gov. Tim Walz's propose public safety budget.

Earlier this session, Walz proposed sending $550 million to local governments to be used to fight crime. But it's not clear if the plan will receive enough from Democratic legislators, who control both the state Senate and House.

"We have been doing great work to drive violent crime down – but we have been doing so with strained resources and that is not sustainable," said Mayor Minneapolis Frey in a statement.

"This spending proposal is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in the future of our public safety infrastructure, and we need to seize it. This is simply about keeping our community safe from violent crime. We should all support that."

Frey, along with Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt and Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston, say the "once-in-a-generation" funding would bolster local jurisdictions' ability to address violent crime.

It's no secret that the Minneapolis Police Department has suffered from a severe staffing shortage since the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent riots and street violence.

The city has struggled to even just meet the minimum number of sworn officers required by the Minneapolis Charter.