Saint Paul Police Department funding was a flash point during the city’s 2021 truth-in-taxation hearing on December 2. While only six citizens testified during the virtual program, the City Council received more than 130 public comments via email and voice mail. Many of those comments called for cutting the Police Department’s budget and redirecting the money to affordable housing and human services. Other comments called for the city to refrain from cutting the Police Department budget.
The City Council is scheduled to approve the 2021 city budget and property tax levy on December 9. The 2021 tax levy is currently set at a maximum $165.2 million—the same amount that was levied in 2020—to support a proposed city budget of $627 million.
Many of those who favor a leaner police budget mentioned the disproportionate impact that law enforcement tactics have had on people of color. They spoke in favor of alternative approaches, including the city’s new Community First Public Safety initiative.
Macalester-Groveland resident Mary Lanham said that while last year’s launch of Community First Public Safety is a step in the right direction, more must be done to address police brutality and use of force. “The murder of George Floyd, even after so many reforms to policing in the Twin Cities, shows undeniably that a different kind of change is required to save lives,” Lanham said. “A general fund that allocates 32 percent of the city’s budget to policing is unacceptable given the urgency of change.”
Hamline-Midway resident Laura Jahnig said she is tired of seeing police officers stand by at the governor’s mansion while Minnesotans armed with weapons protest the outcome of the presidential election or state restrictions regarding COVID-19. “There’s just a never-ending cycle of Saint Paul police brutalizing innocent people and protecting fascists,” Jahnig said. “I’m sick of my tax dollars going to support this system. I urge the City Council to reallocate police funds to other needed areas.
“There are homeless people in Saint Paul who need our help and affordable housing that needs to be created,” Jahnig said. “If the rationale behind funding the cops is to keep people safe and decrease crime, then we need to invest in the areas that prevent crime in the first place: adequate housing for all, education and mental health and social services.”
“There are homeless people in Saint Paul who need our help and affordable housing that needs to be created,” Jahnig said. “If the rationale behind funding the cops is to keep people safe and decrease crime, then we need to invest in the areas that prevent crime in the first place: adequate housing for all, education and mental health and social services.”
“Police don’t make me feel safe,” said Frogtown resident Joelle Stangler. “They exacerbate problems such as homelessness, they don’t solve them.”
Many others disagreed, saying that the rising crime rate justifies more funding for the police. “I think it’s a fair expectation that we have a safe community supported by a police force that’s able to do its work,” said East Side resident Edward Xiong. “With the pandemic we’ve seen even more crime.”
“The police, particularly in downtown, have always been kept busy by a steady drip of problems, but this summer crime just exploded,” said East Side resident William Miske. “The open drug use and discarded needles are threatening the safety and future of what was once a growing district in Saint Paul. We’ve seen restaurants and other businesses leave the area, and more will go if the police aren’t able to keep up with the volume of crime. Mayor Carter is wrong to want to cut the Police Department. I know there are tough decisions to make, but public safety and law enforcement are absolutely vital.”
“We’ve seen a huge spike this summer in crime,” said East Side resident William Langevin. “Cutting the police budget just means that more crimes will go unsolved. It’s absolutely crazy, all of the ways the city has found to spend our money on items that don’t further public safety in any way.”
Under the mayor’s proposed budget, public safety spending would be reduced by $1.2 million, including an $801,000 cut in the Police Department’s budget and a $431,000 cut in the Fire Department’s budget. However, those numbers are likely to change before the City Council finishes its budget deliberations. In fact, the council has already added funding for Community First Public Safety and for a Fire Department wellness coordinator to the 2021 budget as the document nears approval.
— Jane McClure
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