House public safety leaders weigh in on review of 2020 civil unrest
SAINT PAUL, MN - Following this morning’s release of the external review of the 2020 response to protests, unrest and rioting following George Floyd’s murder, Rep. Cedrick Frazier (DFL - New Hope), Vice Chair of the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Committee released the following statement:
“This report outlines where we need to go. It’s a surprise to no one that the civil unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s murder was not handled correctly and officers were not ready or properly equipped to handle the situation. We need to invest in systemic changes to our public safety system, including adequate training, local investments, and community partnerships. This is why I brought forward the Public Safety Innovation Package. With proper training, funding, and new ideas we won’t see law enforcement attacking reporters or peaceful protesters, and they’ll be able to handle crowd control with regard for the dignity of every human life. We need to pass the Public Safety Innovation Package into law.”
Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL - Saint Paul), Chair of the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Committee, issued the following statement:
“The report reinforces our work in the House Public Safety Committee to create a modern approach to crime that actually works. We’ve developed an effective way to strengthen Public safety through increased law enforcement capacity, including more funding, involving community citizens and experts to get out ahead of problems and collaborate with law enforcement when problems arise. Our proposal also ensures wrongdoers – including law enforcement when they violate the rights of others – can be held accountable.”
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