The Minneapolis Police Department is seeking the help of outside jurisdictions after seeing an alarming increase in violence.
One year after the George Floyd riots and city’s call to defund Minneapolis police, the department is in dire need of auxiliary support. This past weekend alone, four individuals were killed in Minneapolis.
Mayor Jacob Frey supports the move to bring in outside help. In a press conference on May 23, Frey said, “safety in our city has to be a priority.” He called these reinforcements “really, really critical.”
While Frey never called for the city’s police department to be abolished, his colleagues on the Minneapolis City Council have. In June 2020, the council unanimously voted to initiate the dismantling of the MPD.
In light of Minneapolis’ police shortage, Frey has asked both state and federal agencies for aid. Since May 2020, over 200 officers have left their positions.
The exodus of law enforcement ensued after Floyd’s death and the worldwide focus on the department. Many who served during the riots disclosed post traumatic stress disorder as the reason for leaving the job. Now, one year later, the same leaders who called for the department’s disbandment have asked for $6.4 million to recruit new officers.
The state’s largest city has now experienced 32 homicides on the year, putting it on track to surpass 2020’s record murder rate. The number of gunshot wound victims has increased even more drastically, jumping from 74 at this point in 2020 to 187 in 2021, an increase of 153%.
Crimes such as carjackings are also continuing to rise, the Minneapolis City Council was told last week.
Katie Larsen
Katie Larsen is a cartoonist and writer for Alpha News.
