'Violence interrupters' are flashpoint in Minnesota public safety funding debate

Minnesota legislative Democrats are proposing tens of millions of dollars for nonprofit groups to keep the peace in Minneapolis and other cities, while Republicans say the groups aren't worth the money they're already receiving.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota legislative Democrats are proposing tens of millions of dollars for nonprofit groups to keep the peace in Minneapolis and other cities, while Republicans say the groups aren't worth the money they're already receiving.

Minneapolis, which has seen 300 police officers leave in recent years, has increasingly turned to so-called violence interrupters as a crime prevention strategy. The unarmed civilians are trained in mediation and deescalation tactics. Some have criminal records.

House Democrats have proposed a public safety spending plan that includes $55 million in community innovation grants, for which only non-police efforts are eligible. The DFL's plan would cost $150 million overall and also includes $15 million for community policing, $15 million for body cameras, and $10 million in grants for mental health responders to be paired with law enforcement.

Senate Republicans advanced their own spending plan Friday that calls for no funding of nonprofit violence interrupter groups. Instead, the GOP is seeking $70 million for police officer hiring and retention bonuses.

"I think you have to establish a standard of accountability first before we start pouring tens of millions of dollars into the hands of people we don’t know can do the job," Senate Judiciary Chairman Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, told reporters.

Asked about Limmer's criticism this week, Gov. Tim Walz said he was comfortable with the level of financial control on the nonprofits. Mayors and police chiefs say the groups reduce the crime rate in the areas where they work, Walz said.

"I would really hope they [the GOP] would reconsider that," Walz said. "We need accountability for folks who game the system. But the vast majority are delivering."

Walz's supplemental budget proposal includes a combination of funding for nonprofit groups and additional police officers.

Minneapolis outreach teams look to interrupt cycle of violence

The outreach teams make contact with people who are both the victims and perpetrators of street violence, building trust and connecting them with various social services. Their goal is diffuse conflict before the shooting starts.

Minneapolis city officials have invested significantly in the nonprofit model, run out of the city's Office of Violence Prevention. In February, the Minneapolis City Council increased funding by 50 percent to MinneapolUS, one of the nonprofits, to $7.5 million.

The divisions within the two parties about public safety with transition into a major theme during this fall's midterms. All 201 legislative seats and Walz are up for re-election.