More Black Minnesotans Say They Don't Want Their Police Force Reduced

Brittany M. Hughes | August 17, 2020
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Proving yet again that the squeaky wheel only gets the grease because it’s more annoying than the functional ones, it turns out most Minnesotans don’t actually want to see their police force diminished, despite loud calls from a minority of leftists demanding the entire force be abolished following the police-involved death of George Floyd.

Unfortunately, the gap wasn’t nearly as wide as you might hope.

According to this, a recent poll found 44 percent said they didn’t want to see the size of the Minneapolis Police Department decreased, compared to just 40 percent who said they did. The remaining 16 percent said they weren’t sure.

But among blacks, that difference was even more pronounced. A full 50 percent of black respondents said the police department shouldn’t be cut, while only 35 percent said it should. Fifteen percent said they weren’t sure.

Predictably, there was also a pretty major difference of opinion depending on the age of the respondent. Among those 18 to 34, 61 percent said they thought the police department should be smaller, compared to 30 percent of respondents 65 and older.

Only about one in four said they thought reducing the police force would make a positive impact on public safety, while half said it would have a negative effect.

The poll comes as crime in Minneapolis is skyrocketing. As of August 4, the city had already seen 42 homicides this year alone, more than double the number recorded last year to date. On top of that, another roughly 300 people have been wounded by gunfire so far this year, up from 121 by this time 2019. Amid the rise in violent crime, the police department says they're taking longer to respond to 911 calls due to the shrinking size of the police force, as dozens of officers have taken leave amid violent riots and calls for their department to be decreased or abolished altogether.

 

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