Today, Senate Republicans rolled out a $65 million C.O.P.S. Program, which stands for “Creating Opportunities in Public Safety.” The proposals focus on recruitment to address the peace officer shortage affecting the entire state. The six different bills help young people get their degree in law enforcement, provide opportunities for nontraditional entrants into policing, and fund a marketing campaign as well as continuing education to highlight the honorable profession and long-term benefits of a career in law enforcement.

“Minnesota needs more qualified police officers,” Senator Bill Weber (R-Luverne) said. “It should be expected that we are recruiting the best and the brightest. Unfortunately, we’re not getting that at the moment. People are staying away from the profession, and hiring is being outpaced by retirements or exits. We need to turn this around, and one way to do this is to use incentives and recruitment programs that show these men and women that we respect what they do and will we there be supporting them on their journey to become a LEO.”

Across the nation, law enforcement positions are opening up faster than they can be replaced by retirement or resignation. In 2021 alone, The Star Tribune reported Minnesota saw 32 Police Chiefs retire. The Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board Job board shows openings for licensed peace officers in at least 65 agencies. Minneapolis and St. Paul have nearly 300 open positions to fill as of last month, with the state currently lacking upwards of 800 officers.  

To view the full list of provisions proposed by Senate Republicans, click the link below:

www.mnsenaterepublicans.com/cops/

To listen to the press conference, click here:
https://www.facebook.com/mnsrc/videos/891349158225012