Coming February 6, 2024 . . .
MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
Pre-order at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop
Coming February 6, 2024 . . . MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE by Michael Wolraich Pre-order at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop |
The shortages highlight the challenge facing the city's beleaguered police force as it faces calls for its defunding or even abolishment.
By Libor Jany @ StarTribune.com, Aug. 1
Minneapolis police are down at least 100 officers since the killing of George Floyd — more than 10% of the force — straining department resources amid a wave of violence and adding extra urgency to the political debate over its future. Over the past two months, 40 cops have resigned, been fired or are in the process of leaving the force, and another 75 have taken a medical leave for post-traumatic stress disorder they say was caused by the riots that followed Floyd’s death. Dozens more are expected to file for leave in the coming months.
MPD officials not authorized to speak publicly estimate the department, which is budgeted for 888 officers this year, could lose as much as a third of its workforce by the end of the year.
The shortages highlight the challenge facing the city’s beleaguered police force as it faces calls for its defunding, or even abolishment.
Residents say that police are taking longer to respond to emergency calls, even as homicides, shootings and robberies have all increased by double digits from last year.
Some of that frustration surfaced during Friday’s City Council meeting, when Council Member Andrea Jenkins questioned officers’ apparent reluctance to enter the area surrounding Floyd’s memorial at E. 38th Street and S. Chicago Avenue, a long troubled corner that has been the site of several shootings in recent weeks.
“People in this area, they’re not experiencing slow response, they’re experiencing no response. They’re being told that this is called a no-go zone by MPD,” she said in the meeting broadcast on Zoom.
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo defended the department’s responses near the blocked-off intersection in the meeting, explaining that officers must respond to calls, and if they don’t, the reason is documented.
“In and around that intersection when a violent incident had occurred, in order for officers to try and safely get in there, that officers had to have some communication of they could meet right outside the barriers, I know there are a couple incidences where that had occurred.”
Gunfire incidents soar [....]
Comments
RNC & friends love this kind of news:
by artappraiser on Sun, 08/02/2020 - 9:36pm
One reply to the "Democrat run cities" charge is that "Rethuglican run cities" face the same rise in crime.
After noting the universality of the problem, we can take a look at whether this is a gang vs gang with high powered weapons or a wider scale problem. Since Trump is only focusing on one subset of cities, he is it capable of dealing with the problem.
Trump's only I can fix it falls flat because it is happening while he is in office.
by rmrd0000 on Sun, 08/02/2020 - 10:03pm
by artappraiser on Sun, 08/02/2020 - 9:40pm
by artappraiser on Sun, 08/02/2020 - 9:43pm
by artappraiser on Sun, 08/02/2020 - 9:45pm
note: Scott Fitzgerald is Official Twitter Account of the Wisconsin State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald
GOP is the majority in both houses of the Wisconsin legislature.
Do I need to remind that Wisconsin is an important swing state as to the presidential election?
by artappraiser on Sun, 08/02/2020 - 9:48pm