Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Announces New Public Safety Proposal Ahead Of Vote On MPD's Future
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Crime in Minneapolis will be a critical factor for voters this fall.
As concerns and crime rise across the city, Mayor Jacob Frey announced his new public safety proposal late Monday afternoon in north Minneapolis, where he received pushback.
Mayor Frey's four-point plan includes:
* Integrating existing public safety work under one department.
* Hiring community-oriented officers.
* Expanding police alternatives.
* Pursuing reform together
The surge in violent crime is coinciding with a vote on the charter amendment that seeks to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a department of public safety. And it's clear voters throughout the city see rising crime as not just a priority -- but a crisis.
In north Minneapolis, businessman Houston White is overseeing an expansion of his barber shop with the addition of a coffee shop.
"I hear the gunshots," White said. "Obviously we need reform, we need to think about what is the future of policing in this city."
But White, who has been in business for 13 years in the Camden neighborhood, does not want the clean slate that a "yes" vote on the public safety charter amendment would bring.
"I want things to be clear, and I want time for residents and folks to really be able to chime in on what does public safety look like, so I vote 'no,'" White said.
A recent poll found concern about rising crime dominates every age and ethic group. Of the residents surveyed, 73% said crime is on the rise. The fear is consuming residents across the city, including Laura Sanchez. At a dog park near Lake of the Isles, residents swap stories.
"There was a carjacking 400 feet from my house two days ago," resident Laura Sanchez said. "I can't go to my car in the morning with my kid and not like have my back turned and to make sure she gets in the car and that we lock the doors right away."
Uptown resident Preston Baldwin had bullets hit his apartment building earlier in the day.
"I believe in like some type of reform, but like in order to keep the peace, you know, we need, we need the police," Baldwin said.
For some, the rise in crime is so great, and the breach of trust from the George Floyd case is so overwhelming, that the only solution is a do-over. But the push for serious change without a complete overhaul also clearly has support.
