The leftist city council of Minneapolis has just defunded $8 million from their police department’s budget while crime is skyrocketing in the city:
FOX NEWS – The Minneapolis City Council passed a budget Thursday morning that will cut its police funding by $8 million and use the money for mental health and violence prevention programs.
The plan for the shifting of police funding, called “Safety for All,” follows the city council’s stalled attempt to completely dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department earlier this year. Minneapolis experienced widespread protests against racism and police brutality — which often turned into riots — that were sparked after George Floyd, a Black man, died while in Minneapolis police custody.
“The City Council adopted a 2021 budget!!” Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender tweeted early Thursday. “All the #SafetyForAllBudget proposals passed for 2021. Mental health, violence prevention, oversight and more.”
The Minneapolis Police Department’s overall budget is $179 million, which means the $8 million cuts represent only a fraction of the department’s overall budget.
“The City Council is decimating the police department”
But Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis President Bob Kroll told Fox News that the city council’s actions will still seriously harm the police department and public safety.
“The City Council is decimating the police department,” Kroll said. “The number of working officers is the lowest it’s been in 50 years. Murders, shootings, and other violent crimes are approaching record levels. Our officers are severely overworked, understaffed, and cannot keep the public safe with these cuts.”
Shootings, murders, violent crimes all skyrocketing…
According to police data, more than 500 people have been shot in Minneapolis this year – twice as many as 2019. Murders are up more than 50%. There have also been nearly 5,000 violent crimes, the highest level in the past five years.
And though the widespread riots may have subsided temporarily, there is the potential for more unrest in the new year. The four officers who are facing charges in Floyd’s death will stand trial starting March 8.
Not to mention that more than 100 officers have left the police force in Minneapolis this year, which is double the amount that typically leave in a given year. And even more want to leave the city, as we reported earlier this year. Who can blame them when the leftists in charge are ruining their city. They care more about defunding police than they do about the people in their city. Pretty soon Minneapolis is going to be a ghost town.