The Minneapolis City Council approved a $500k appropriation to hire new police officers from neighboring cities on Friday, with an exodus of officers from the Minneapolis Police Department creating a public safety risk. The council is seeking emergency officers to patrol the city streets until the end of the year, with many Minneapolis Police officers retiring or leaving the department.
“Our city is bleeding,” Police Chief Medaria Arradondo told members of the council on Tuesday. “At this moment, I’m trying to do all I can to stop that bleeding.”
The vote for the $500k in emergency funding was approved 7-6, with councilors such as Jeremiah Ellison arguing against giving more funding to the police even after a crime surge. Arradondo expects to make a similar request for temporary emergency funding next year, with the MPD unable to meet staffing needs.