Anoka County (Minnesota) Sheriff James Stuart revealed his thoughts on the possibility of the Minneapolis City Council disbanding the city’s police department. Earlier stories have suggested that sheriff’s deputies would pick up some of the law enforcement duties after Minneapolis shuts down its own PD.
Sheriff Stuart says he’s not interested in sending his deputies back into Minneapolis to restore order yet again.
Here are his exact words from a Facebook post:
The members of the Minneapolis City Council should be mindful that numerous other law enforcement agencies have responded to support them, to restore order, to protect their citizens and to return peace to their city during recent tragic days. We did this while joining our communities in disgust over the way in which George Floyd lost his life and in hopes of a stronger, unified future.
There are clearly concerns to be addressed and areas to be fixed.
However, If they choose to eliminate their police department through defunding operations without a realistic plan, they must also choose to live with the consequences of their decisions. We are one of many agencies who have no appetite for going back to their city to restore order again; especially if their decision is to actively compromise the safety of the city.
Cooler heads who seek actual answers while working with their community will find realistic answers. Those who embrace impulsive actions must live with the consequences and I think we have all suffered enough from a variety of bad decisions.
While nine of twelve Minneapolis council members have indicated their support for disbanding the police, if a single council member changes their mind, the plan would be blocked by a veto by Mayor Jacob Frey.
Time may allow inflamed passions to fade and more dispassionate decision-making. It seems unlikely Minneapolis would actually scrap its police force. If the city council backs down, that would be good news for citizens, property and business owners.
At the same time, a lot of residents will surely seek out home defense firearms just in case common sense doesn’t prevail in the City of Lakes.