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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen (R)

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Legislative Update from Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen

Friday, June 11, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

On Tuesday, House Republicans unveiled a package of proposals to improve public safety and curb the recent spike in murders, carjackings, and other crimes 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.

This massive spike in serious crime has resulted in significant issues for the metro area. We know that the 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.

Our proposals include: 

  • 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 OutPost (COP) House program, which is seeing success in the St. Cloud area building police-community relations.

Minnesotans deserve to feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods and it is way past time to significantly address the crime problem in the Twin Cities. I hope that Democrats will get serious about this and join us in working to empower law enforcement to secure our cities.

Staying in Touch

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me to share your thoughts, questions, and concerns as it relates to state government. I can be reached at 651-296-4229 or via email at rep.glenn.gruenhagen@house.mn.

Have a great day,

Glenn