Minneapolis police leaving in droves
Former Minneapolis police officer Steve Dykstra on violent crime spiking in the city after George Floyd’s death.
A lawsuit brought by a group of Minneapolis residents claiming they have been subjected to "rampant crime" since George Floyd’s death and the rise of the defund police movement prompted rampant staffing shortages will advance to the state Supreme Court and a hearing has been set for June.
The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the Upper Midwest Law Center’s (UMLC) petition for review of the Minnesota Court of Appeals’ recent decision that Mayor Jacob Frey has no duty to hire a single police officer despite the city charter’s police-to-population ratio requirement.
It also granted the non-profit, public interest law firm's motion to expedite the case, scheduling a state Supreme Court hearing on June 9, 2022.
A group of eight residents in Minneapolis’ North Side argue they are still suffering from rampant crime caused by lack of police protection and seek the reinstatement of Hennepin County District Court’s July 1, 2021, decision ordering the city to immediately take action to ensure that they fund and employ a police force of at least 731 sworn officers, as required by the city charter, no later than June 30, 2022.
Activists in Minneapolis are making a second attempt to get rid of the city's police department, more than a year after George Floyd's death at the hands of officers. Minneapolis Police Department/Facebook (Minneapolis Police Department/Facebook)
The appeal, filed by UMLC on the residents’ behalf, argues that the mayor cannot "dismantle" the police and create a "ghost force" if funding is required to be provided for them.
Mayor Jacob Frey gives a speech at the Jefe Urban Cocina restaurant on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021 in Minneapolis. ((AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa File))
The state Court of Appeals agreed that the City Council must fund at least 731 officers, "but somehow held that the mayor has no obligation to use that money to staff the police force," UMLC said. "UMLC and the North Side residents argue that this makes no sense—the Charter requires the Mayor to ‘maintain’ a police force, the lack of officers on the force is crippling the City, and Mayor Frey testified under oath that he needs more money to hire more officers."
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"The Supreme Court made the right decision to take this case, which is so important to the safety of the people of Minneapolis," James Dickey, Senior Trial Counsel for the Upper Midwest Law Center, said in a statement. "We look forward to bringing our strong arguments to the Supreme Court and obtaining reinstatement of the order for Minneapolis to restore the police force and comply with the City Charter."
