Oct 2023. Blues Vol 39 No. 10

AROUND THE COUNTRY

AROUND THE COUNTRY MINNEAPOLIS,MN. Reimagining police departments in Minneapolis results in lowest LEO staffing in history. By Law Officer MINNEAPOLIS, MN. – Minneapolis politicians wanted to be the tip of the spear on “defunding and defaming” police and it seems they are getting exactly what they asked for. Over the past three years, MPD experienced the most significant exodus of uniformed personnel in its history and, last month, dipped to the lowest level in at least four decades according to the Star Tribune. With 585 sworn officers, the department hovers just above that of the St. Paul police department, an agency that serves roughly 120,000 fewer residents. That decline means Minneapolis holds among the lowest ratio of police officers to population served out of 22 sampled American cities, according to a Star Tribune analysis. Chief Brian O’Hara, who never wastes a minute without trashing law enforcement, agreeing with the Department of Justicesays the low numbers are “…not sustainable.” We agree but the blame lies squarely in the leadership of Minneapolis, including O’Hara. O’Hara recently admitted that 48 The BLUES his Department had engaged in a “pattern or practice” of unconstitutional policing and that his officers are racially biased. O’Hara even condemned the entire law enforcement profession by saying that every agency that comes under federal investigation deserves to be punished by DOJ consent decrees. “The reality is: we have earned it. Policing as a profession has earned it. The cities where this happens, there is good reason — it’s because of our behavior.” In a sane world, no leader, anywhere, could say that without actual proof but Minneapolis is far from the real world. Their 72 page use of force policy even has a section on “trust:” “Officers shall act in a manner that promotes trust between MPD and the communities it serves.” Once again, in the real world, the practice of using physical force to defend a life is not equivalent with making sure everyone trusts but this is Minnehopeless. We feel horrible for the citizens of Minneapolis. They were told a lie on purpose and that lie is that “reimagining” policing would make them safer. Most know by now that it was all a scam and the rest will surely know soon enough.

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