After Spending Months Defunding Police, Minneapolis Spends Millions To Recruit Police

Suddenly, Minneapolis has decided it wants to fund the police, after all.

Or more accurately, the city intends to spend about $6.4 million to hire dozens of police officers. This comes at a time when some members of City Council and activist organizations have been trying to cancel the police department in the aftermath of George Floyd's death -- which spurred rioting and burning businesses.

"The City Council voted unanimously Friday to approve the additional funding that police requested," The Associated Press reported. "The department says it only has 638 officers available to work — roughly 200 fewer than usual. An unprecedented number of officers quit or went on extended medical leave after Floyd’s death and the unrest that followed, which included the burning of a police precinct."

In the months since Floyd's death and the ensuing riots, some Minneapolis residents "have begged city leaders to hire additional officers, saying they're waiting longer for responses to emergency calls amid a dramatic uptick in violent crime," the Star Tribune reported.

Per Forbes, police recorded 532 gunshot victims in 2020, more than double what was reported last year. Violent crimes were also up, surpassing 5,100, and reported car jackings have increased a whopping 331 percent. Overall, murders were up 50 percent. So the data shows more police officers, not less, seemingly makes considerably more sense.

Council members who approved the plan told the Star Tribune their goal is transparency and accountability in the police department. The changes go into effect next week, when the city will post openings for a new class of officers to be hired over the summer.