A MISGUIDED PROPOSAL
Early voting starts this month in Minneapolis to decide if our police department should be abolished and replaced by a public safety department. A letter writer on the editorial page of the Minneapolis newspaper addresses the city council who favors the proposal, “You have had a year and a half to come up with a plan, an outline, some suggestion as to how you want to remake Minneapolis. Nothing. Trust us, you say. Why would I? Have you seen the crime stats lately? Have you read the news stories about the shootings, robberies, car-jackings and assaults?”
Another letter states, “This misguided referendum proposal may result in Minneapolis residents arming themselves or inviting in armed civilians to protect businesses, neighborhoods and public buildings. A new reality of vigilante or civilian security may expand in Minneapolis.”
Another citizen writes, “From 1983-1988, I worked as a campus security guard at the University of Minnesota. I carried a police band radio and heard all dispatches from the University Police Department. Remember this was the 1980s. Not once in the 5 years I worked as a security guard did I ever hear a dispatch for car-jacking, aggravated assault, or shots fired. About the worst thing I ever heard was kids smoking pot and people stealing bikes. That was it. Now my son is at the U, and I get a text at least once a week from the University informing me of car-jackings, aggravated assaults and shots fired.”
No surprise that Minnesota’s progressive Attorney General, Keith Ellison, and U.S. representative, Ilhan Omar, both support the referendum to eliminate the police department within 30 days of the election. The Chief of Police claims the passage of the ballot would be unbearable for law enforcement. The final vote comes in November at which time I hope to be back in Florida for the winter. Cold weather and liberals are just too much for anyone to bear.
