Friends and neighbors,
In 2021, violent crime rose across Minnesota by an alarming 21.6% and clearly illustrates why public safety must be a primary focus for our state.
Sometimes folks wonder, are our legislators doing anything to help? This column is our answer, legislatively.
However, our justice system is more than just passing laws. There is the judiciary, law enforcement, public defenders and prosecutors. All take oaths to uphold the laws. And each part of this system has a job to do. Many of these positions are either elected or appointed by elected leaders, such as the governor. Each should be reviewed by voters on how they handled public safety and protected the public because public safety is an essential purpose of government.
Doing our legislative part, my Senate Republican colleagues and I put public safety first this legislative session by introducing comprehensive legislation to address our state’s surge in volent crimes.
Our public safety package focused on providing necessary funding to hold criminals accountable and keep Minnesota’s communities safe. The legislation recognized the importance of supporting our law enforcement officers, toughening penalties for criminal activity, and increasing transparency and accountability in judicial and prosecutorial actions.
Supporting our law enforcement officers
Minnesota’s law enforcement officers are currently struggling with staff and officers are leaving the force in far higher numbers than they are applying to join. We believe that it is imperative to address the central issues facing Minnesota law enforcement officers, and therefore, the Senate’s public safety package focused on officer recruitment, retention, education and training, and equipment.
To uplift current law enforcement and encourage others to peruse a career in this honorable profession, this legislation provided funding for Department of Public Safety to develop and conduct an public awareness campaign to elevate the profession. Also included was funding for the award-winning Pathways to Policing Program to support non-traditional candidates for law enforcement who already have at least an associate’s degree in another discipline.
Further, the public safety package focused on retaining current officers by providing one-time bonuses to all licensed police officers and additional incentives to officers nearing retirement who choose to continue serving. The bill also established a bonus program for police officers who go above and beyond the call of duty.
Hiring new law enforcement officers, and retaining the good officers we currently have, is central to safer streets. Our officers put their lives on the line every day and it’s so important to show how appreciative we are of their dedication to protecting our communities.
Holding violent criminals accountable
Another reason our state is experiencing an upsurge in violent crimes is because criminals are not being held accountable. And currently, we are reserving prison for those who those who repeatedly commit new crimes or the worst of the worst offenders.
For this reason, the Senate Republicans’ public safety bill contained several “tough on crime” provisions to increase penalties for carjackers, repeat offenders, and violent criminals, including those committed with a firearm.
This included the establishment of the crime of carjacking, adding a mandatory minimum sentence to this crime, and requiring law enforcement agencies to report carjacking data. We also addressed the drastic surge in organized retail crime by defining this crime in state statute and providing law enforcement better tools and updated laws to pursue these crime rings.
Repeat criminals are making our Minnesota communities less safe. When criminals who have committed violent crimes are arrested and then quickly released, we are sending the message that their crimes have no consequences. To address our state’s public safety issues, we must stand firm and clearly signal that violent crimes will have strong consequences.
Providing accountability and transparency
Additionally, there are growing instances of violent criminals becoming repeat offenders and frequent decisions by prosecutors and judges to go easy on criminals. That is why Senate Republicans believe that there must be greater transparency for the decisions that lead to early releases and failures to charge to the fullest extent possible.
For this reason, our public safety package contained a key provision that would have required the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission to develop and maintain a publicly searchable database with information on criminal sentences stayed or imposed by the courts. To further ensure the public has better awareness of why and how decisions were made, our legislation would have also required reports on prosecutor dismissals and charging decisions.
Though many serve honorably, too often, some prosecutors and judges have made decisions based on political activism and partisan pressure. It’s vital to provide greater accountability and transparency in the decisions these officials make to ensure they are held accountable to the public on how they approach criminal prosecution.
I strongly believe that the Senate’s public safety package would have been an important step to ensure that Minnesotans can feel safer in their own communities. However, during negotiations at the end of session, House Democrats were unable to compromise and would not move on their position on public safety – support for unproven non-profits instead of support for law enforcement officers. A future Senate Republican majority will continue to put the safety of Minnesotans first.
Contact me
As always, if have questions or concerns on any legislative topic, feel free to contact me any time. You can call me at 651-296-5655 or send me an email at sen.mary.kiffmeyer@senate.mn. It is a privilege to serve as your state senator.
Sincerely,
Mary