Today, Senate Republicans held a press conference announcing a package of law enforcement recruitment bills. In response, Senator Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park) released the following statement:
“There continues to be broad consensus that we need to expand our ability to recruit and retain quality candidates to law enforcement, and we welcome the conversation about how best to do that. However, this approach does not reduce the need to maintain law enforcement accountability for wrongful conduct and to expand community policing to build community trust to prevent and solve crimes.
My Republican colleagues in the Senate spent more time condemning the small but vocal group of Minnesota citizens who want to abolish the police than sincerely asking for the support we know can be found. True consensus building does not include such demagoguery and it would befit all policymakers to tone down the rhetoric used to divide Minnesotans and work with law enforcement and the communities they serve.