(TheRedAlertNews.com) – In a new liberal push to reduce police control and engagement in the face of increasing crime rates, the Minneapolis City Council has recently endorsed a partnership with New York University School of Law’s Reimagining Public Safety program, part of its Policing Project.
With a $1,000,000 commitment, this initiative seeks to integrate non-police entities into the city’s public safety framework. This move aligns with Minneapolis’ broader Safe and Thriving Communities plan, aiming to offer alternatives to traditional policing methods.
The NYU program, which collaborates with other cities like Chicago and Denver, envisions a shift from relying solely on policing to address community needs towards fostering holistic community health and safety. The Safe and Thriving Communities report, adopted by the city council, outlines a range of preventative, responsive, and restorative strategies as alternatives to conventional policing. This includes developing individual response alternatives.
The Policing Project’s Director of Communications, Joshua Manson, said that their focus is to find ways to involve non-police entities in public safety, thereby allowing officers more time for community engagement and addressing violent crime. However, Manson did not elaborate on what constitutes “non-police entities” or how this approach might reduce crime rates.
The Safe and Thriving Communities report suggests deploying behavioral crisis response teams and mental health professionals to specific 911 calls instead of police officers.
David Zimmer, a policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, criticized the focus on alternatives to traditional law enforcement. He argued that successful public safety proposals should be based on a law enforcement-centric strategy.
Zimmer, who has 33 years of experience with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, cautioned against viewing the enhancement of policing as an opportunity to reduce police presence. He stressed the importance of robust law enforcement in conjunction with additional response resources, arguing that crime reduction policies in Minneapolis should incorporate the police department instead of demonizing it.
Zimmer cited successful crime reduction initiatives in Minneapolis, such as high visibility law enforcement followed by prosecutions, as evidence of the effectiveness of a strong police presence in combating crime.
The University of Minnesota has also observed the benefits of increased policing. The Dinkytown commercial district, frequented by students, experienced a 38% drop in crime following heightened police presence, highlighting the tangible impact of robust law enforcement on community safety.
