Police: Think through defunding ramifications carefully

The Minneapolis City Council says it wants to shut down the police department but fails to offer any alternatives.

One probable scenario is that the city would have to contract with the surrounding county to provide police services. Since the county sheriff would now need more deputies, it would probably hire most if not all the officers who lost their jobs.

Then the city could end up paying more for the contract than if they retained the department. And the sheriff’s office answers to the county, not the city, so the city would lose control over policing.

It also would possibly lose big businesses that pull out of the city, because who wants to do business in a city where the council is so shortsighted?

And then the rich and upper middle class would move out. So there goes your tax base.

Now how are you going to pay for other city services?

This story was originally published June 13, 2020 at 7:46 PM with the headline "Police: Think through defunding ramifications carefully."