ST. PAUL – Legislation Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, authored to help Minnesota bolster its law enforcement ranks is among a series of bills House Republicans recently unveiled to strengthen public safety amid a surge in violent crime.
Demuth’s Pathways to Policing bill (H.F. 3387) aims to attract people from nontraditional backgrounds into the law enforcement profession.
“Law enforcement agencies across the state are struggling to recruit peace officers,” Demuth said. “We need to tap into potential pools that we haven’t pursued, or aggressively pursued, to help mitigate the shortfall of officers so many jurisdictions face in our state.”
Demuth said the overall House Republican package focuses on three key areas: crime prevention and accountability for criminals; police recruitment and retention; and holding the criminal justice system accountable.
“A growing number of Minnesotans are expressing concerns over public safety at a time the state is experiencing a historic spike in violent crime,” Demuth said. “That is an indication our government is failing at its most important responsibility: keeping people safe. There are many layers to this subject, so we are taking a straightforward, common-sense approach to address major public safety issues that have been identified. The people’s safety should not be a partisan issue and I hope this package of bills leads to meaningful discussions and real progress.”
Demuth said a significant 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.
“We need to make sure our law enforcement officers have the support and resources they need to get violent criminals off the streets,” Demuth said. “At the same time, our courts also must be willing to issue appropriate sentences. Data shows that judges throughout our state are departing from the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines at troubling rates, issuing lesser sentences for more and more violent criminals.”
Demuth said House Republicans have included several bills in their package to increase transparency and to better understand why violent criminals continue slipping through the cracks of Minnesota’s criminal justice system.
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