ST. PAUL – State Rep. Matt Bliss, R-Pennington, said House Republicans have issued a package of bills aimed at improving public safety amid soaring violent crime rates in Minnesota.
Bliss said the package focuses on three key areas: crime prevention and accountability for criminals; police recruitment and retention; and holding the criminal justice system accountable.
“Minnesotans are increasingly concerned about public safety and our state must take this issue seriously to tamp down the wave of violent crime we are experiencing in Minnesota,” Bliss said. “If the government has one job, it is to keep its people safe and a lack of leadership is failing us miserably in this regard.”
Bliss said a sharp rise in carjacking rates may be the most glaring example of why action is needed. Minneapolis police reported 655 carjackings last year alone – with only 91 related arrests. A measure in the House Republican public safety plan makes carjacking a new criminal offense with increasing penalties for the level of violence.
Minnesota also must ensure local law enforcement agencies have enough officers on patrol, Bliss said, and that they have the resources they need to do their jobs. House Republicans are offering legislation to bolster law enforcement recruitment numerous ways, including providing education reimbursements and Pathways to Policing program funding.
“We have seen a mass exodus of law enforcement officers over the last year, largely because of the anti-police rhetoric and a failure of leadership to adequately support them,” Bliss said. “Minneapolis needs a stronger police presence than ever but has lost half of its officers which, in turn, results in more calls for assistance from other jurisdictions around the state – potentially compromising public safety elsewhere. We need to turn this narrative around to show support and appreciation for our law enforcement because the job they do is vital to our communities.”
Bliss also said data shows that judges statewide are departing from the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines at a troubling rate and issuing lesser sentences for more violent criminals. House Republicans have authored several bills on this subject to increase transparency and to help us better understand why our criminal justice system continues to allow violent criminals to slip through the cracks.
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