SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Committee, chaired by Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL – Saint Paul), dedicated the first week of the legislative session to discuss the package of public safety solutions with investments totaling $100 million authored by Rep. Cedrick Frazier (DFL – New Hope) in three hearings. The first hearing focused on public safety innovation and increasing law enforcement partnerships. The second hearing was held on grants to increase law enforcement capacity. The last hearing focused on accountability within law enforcement and enhancing community trust. The events of the week were discussed throughout, as the rise in crime, resources for law enforcement, and building trust between police and communities through accountability were recurring themes.
“We assembled this bill over several months using a simple nonpartisan process in hopes that amidst a national crisis, Minnesota can come together to support proven, research-based solutions to combat crime,” Rep. Frazier said “This legislation invests in a robust toolkit to strengthen law enforcement partnerships, increasing law enforcement capacity and effectiveness, and repair community trust and confidence, all of which will translate into increased community reporting of crimes and prevention of violence. During a week with tragic events in our state, the response from policymakers must urgently meet this moment and help us create a public safety framework that will keep all Minnesotans safe.”
“Every community should expect public investments to ensure adequate support from professional and accountable police officers, while also having access to community tools to prevent crimes,” Rep. Mariani said. “This week, we carefully listened to input from local elected officials, leaders of community organizations, public safety experts, members of law enforcement, and crime victims, all of whom have important perspectives as we work to develop comprehensive solutions to keep Minnesotans safe. This week’s hearings represented our first step this session, and we will continue working in a collaborative way to meet the critical needs in communities across the state.”
Rep. Frazier’s legislation includes $40 million toward Innovation in Community Safety Grants, available to community nonprofit organizations to implement a targeted, community-centered response to violence. The proposal also includes $22 million each toward Local Community Policing Grants and Crime Investigation Grants, $2.5 million to help agencies purchase body-worn cameras, and $10 million toward opiate abuse and addiction prevention and education strategies. Finally, the bill supports strategies for the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board to increase recruitment of new officers, increase the diversity and professional backgrounds among officers, and strengthens the POST Board’s ability to investigate and hold officers who commit wrongdoing accountable.
A fact sheet about the legislation is available here. Video of Tuesday’s, Thursday’s, and Friday’s committee hearings are available from House Public Information Services.