Police Survey: Most Minnesotans Approve Of Local Police

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Despite recent high-profile police killings, most Minnesotans are still strongly supportive of their local police forces.

A study commissioned by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association found that 90 percent of Minnesotans approve of the way their local police force handles its job.

The approval figures were slightly lower among urban residents (87 percent) and rural residents (85 percent), and higher among suburban residents (95 percent).

The officers association declined to break down police approval numbers by race or by city, citing "a small sample size." About 17 percent of the survey's 450 respondents were non-white.

An ACLU study of low-level arrest rates in Minneapolis showed a significant racial disparity in low-level arrests. And questions over the Minneapolis Police Department's use of deadly force have been raised after a number of recent shootings by officers.

The survey found that 43 percent of Minnesotans said that "recent events around the country regarding violence involving police officers" have altered at least a little their perception of local law enforcement.