Friends and neighbors –
The last few weeks have been challenging for our nation, our state, and hundreds of small communities spread across Minnesota. Law enforcement officers, especially in large cities, have come under heavy scrutiny as we try to grapple with their community relationships and the role racism may play.
These are important discussions, but one thing I would ask residents of Dodge, Rice, Steele, and Waseca Counties to keep in mind is that we shouldn’t let the bad behavior of a few rotten apples in Minneapolis color our perspective of all law enforcement, nor should we lump all police departments together.
It’s pretty clear that Minneapolis and other big city police forces in America have problems they need to address. But those issues are mostly absent from the police in smaller communities like ours. I was the Mayor of Faribault for 8 years, and on the city council before that. Since I have become state Senator, I have gotten to know officers and local officials in other towns in the district. I can unequivocally say that our areas down here are fantastic officers. They do phenomenal work, and I have heard nothing but terrific feedback.
Our goal should be to foster relationships between law enforcement and the communities they work for. In places like Faribault and Waseca, those relationships are already very strong. But in Minneapolis, they clearly have work to do. The legislative branch can and will assist with this effort, but ultimately accountability must happen at the local level. The mayor and city council of that city – and other cities with issues – must lead the way in rebuilding trust among their citizens.
As we work on these issues, I would ask you to remember that not all police officers are bad, and not all police departments are broken beyond repair. I, for one, am grateful to the fantastic work of law enforcement in Dodge, Rice, Steele, and Waseca Counties. No matter what changes we make, I am confident they will continue doing a terrific job keeping our communities safe.
Sincerely,