Deputy Police Chief Amelia Huffman | minneapolismn.gov
Deputy Police Chief Amelia Huffman | minneapolismn.gov
The rising crime rate in Minneapolis unofficially canceled the "defund the police" outcry, as the City Council voted unanimously to approve additional funding of $6.4 million to be used for police recruitment and training.
The city experienced a spike in violent crime last year — with robbery, homicide, burglary, and aggravated assault rates soaring high.
By the end of 2020, the city had recorded 532 gunshot victims, doubling the number recorded in the same period one year ago.
Deputy Police Chief Amelia Huffman said that they are hoping the additional funding "will help us to feel confident that we are recruiting the kinds of candidates we want right from the beginning," the Daily Mail reported.
During the aftermath of the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, an unprecedented number of Minneapolis police officers resigned or went on lengthy medical leaves.
According to the Minneapolis Police Department, only 638 officers are working in the force right now, a number that is 200 fewer than prior to the social unrest that followed the death of Floyd.
The additional police funding is expected to drive the number of police officers to 674 at the end of the year, with another batch of 28 officers entering the hiring and training process.
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