“Defund the Police” Movement in Minneapolis Goes Up in Flames as City Spends Millions on New Police Officers

Throughout 2020, we heard chants of “Defund the Police” from radical left groups Antifa and BLM.

Minneapolis was ground zero for the movement due to the death of George Floyd and left-wing politicians gave into their demands.

And the results?

Well, they weren’t too pretty.

With rising crime and police officers leaving the force, Minneapolis' defund-the-police movement has crashed into reality — again. https://t.co/wtI4jkedxH

— Byron York (@ByronYork) February 15, 2021

Defund the Police is a failed concept, according to Minneapolis who is now expanding their budget by $6.4M.

— Blair Brandt (@BlairBrandt) February 15, 2021

https://twitter.com/CassandraRules/status/1361451504713015297

After a massive surge of violent crime in the wake of the defund the police movement, Minneapolis is now spending millions of dollars to recruit & hire new police officers: https://t.co/QM6KnUbPAO

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) February 14, 2021

THAT WAS FAST: Minneapolis Council Votes to INCREASE Police Budget By $6.4 Million as Crime Spikes https://t.co/IKDHInyUZw

— Sean Hannity 🇺🇸 (@seanhannity) February 15, 2021

BREAKING: Minneapolis to spend $6.4M recruiting officers following sharp rise in crime and 200 cops quitting after George Floyd riots and massive budget cuts https://t.co/8lyw69HLWq

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) February 14, 2021

After a massive spike in violence, hundreds of Minneapolis cops retired from the force.

Despite giving into the demands of radicals, the City Council were forced to refund the police.

By $6.4 million.

Not exactly the way the “Defund the Police” crowd wanted things to turn out.

While some City Council members hoped to replace police officers with social workers, it’s just a fantasy that came crashing down.

The understaffed police force and many citizens were desperate for a stronger law enforcement presence during the uptick in crime.

And sadly, it’s minority communities that often suffer the most by defunding the police.

ABC News covered the story:

Minneapolis is planning to spend $6.4 million to hire dozens of police officers, at a time when some City Council members and activist groups have been advocating to replace the police department following George Floyd’s death.

The City Council voted unanimously Friday to approve the additional funding that police requested. 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.

With new recruit classes, the city anticipates it will have 674 officers available at the end of the year, with another 28 in the hiring process, the Star Tribune reported.

Floyd, a Black man who was handcuffed, died May 25 after former police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck even as he said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death sparked protests and led to a nationwide reckoning on race. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter and is scheduled for trial March 8. Three other former officers are charged with aiding and abetting, and are scheduled for trial in August.

While there have been calls to dismantle the department after Floyd’s death, some residents have begged the city to hire more officers, citing longer response times and an increase in violent crime.

Days before the City Council vote, Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo promised to update the application process for police recruits to include questions about whether they have lived in Minneapolis, have degrees in criminology, social work, psychology or counseling, and whether they volunteer or participate in programs such as the Police Activities League.

Deputy Police Chief Amelia Huffman said they hope the change “will help us to really feel confident that we are recruiting the kinds of candidates we want right from the beginning.”

Meanwhile, three City Council members have proposed replacing the police department with a public safety department that would include law enforcement and other services. Yes 4 Minneapolis, a coalition of local community groups, is also collecting signatures to try to get a similar proposal on the November ballot.

The Star Tribune reported the Yes 4 Minneapolis committee is being fueled by a half-million dollar grant from the Washington, D.C.-based group Open Society Policy Center, which is associated with billionaire George Soros. Organizers hope to collect 20,000 signatures by March 31.

And from The Blaze:

The Minneapolis City Council’s mission to defund the police has failed spectacularly. Following an increase in crime, Minneapolis has had a change of heart about defunding or abolishing the police. In fact, the city is going to spend millions to beef up its law enforcement.

Nearly two weeks after the death of George Floyd in police custody, the Minneapolis City Council vowed to “dismantle” the city’s police department.

***Support We Love Trump and Mike Lindell plus get up to 66% off -- use promo code WLT at MyPillow.com***

The city council proclaimed that the “Minneapolis Police Department cannot be reformed and will never be accountable for its actions,” thus they would “begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department.”

In June, it was reported that seven MPD officers quit the force, citing a lack of support from city leaders. The trend of Minneapolis Police Department officers quitting or going on extended medical leave only got worse. Now, the MPD only has 638 available officers, 200 fewer than usual. The mass exodus had much to do with the months of anti-police sentiment and riots, which included the ransacking and burning down of the 3rd precinct police station.

With far fewer law enforcement officers, violent crime increased, which included a whopping 537% increase in carjackings during November. Citizens complained to city officials about the longer response times due to a huge reduction in the police force.

On Friday, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to approve $6.4 million in additional funding that the police department had requested, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. The police funding will go toward hiring dozens of new police officers, a stark contrast to what the city council declared over the summer.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo promised to make the MPD application process more progressive. The updated police application will now include questions about “whether they have lived in Minneapolis, have degrees in criminology, social work, psychology or counseling, and whether they volunteer or participate in programs such as the Police Activities League,” according to Fox News.

Deputy Police Chief Amelia Huffman said the new application “will help us to really feel confident that we are recruiting the kinds of candidates we want right from the beginning.”