[ST. PAUL, MN] – Today, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan stopped in St. Louis Park on their statewide public safety tour to discuss what their public safety budget – including $300 million for cities, counties, and tribes across the state – would mean for communities across the state. The average city in Minnesota would receive about $240,000 to invest in public safety under the Walz-Flanagan Budget to Move Minnesota Forward. St. Louis Park would receive nearly $900,000 per year. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor were joined by St. Louis Park Mayor Jake Spano, Police Chief Mike Harcey, and Fire Chief Steve Koering.

Today’s roundtable discussion in St. Louis Park follows recent public safety meetings Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan have had with community leaders in Duluth, Brooklyn Park, Eagan, and North Minneapolis. A detailed list of the funding that would be made available to each community is available online.

“When putting together our $300 million public safety plan, we listened to what local fire and police chiefs, mayors, and community members were telling us – and what we heard was that they need direct support,” said Governor Walz. “That’s why under our budget, cities like St. Louis Park would receive nearly $900,000 to address their communities’ most urgent public safety needs locally.”

“Today I was grateful to be in St. Louis Park – my community – to discuss how we can be good partners to keep all of our neighbors safe and cared for,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “We know that public safety needs look different across the state – which is why we are empowering communities to take the lead with state support to help ensure every Minnesotan is safe, protected, and valued in their community.”

“St. Louis Park has always been on the leading edge of combining innovation and time-tested strategies to drive positive outcomes on the challenges faced by cities in our region,” said Mayor Spano. “The additional investments proposed by Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan will help us accelerate our work to ensure public safety. We look forward to increased funding for our creative and effective work which can be replicated in other cities across the state.”

“This is an amazing opportunity to support a community’s capacity to respond to its growing needs while using its most trusted resources,” said Fire Chief Koering. “Public safety sees firsthand, many times before anyone else, the challenges within its boundaries. Having staff and resources to provide connections for helps to promote resiliency at all levels within the community – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.”

“The public safety package proposed by Governor Walz is in line with St. Louis Park’s longstanding commitment to community-oriented policing, which relies on our ability to form partnerships with the community to solve problems and quality of life issues,” said Police Chief Harcey. “ Funding for community-based crime prevention, neighborhood restoration, and youth engagement and programs, along with support for law enforcement activities, will help address community safety issues effectively. We look forward to the opportunity to work with the Governor’s Office and the legislature to roll out meaningful programs to assist public safety agencies in maintaining safe communities.”

An outline of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s public safety proposal is below.

Invest $300 million in local governments to improve public safety
The Walz-Flanagan budget invests $300 million over three years to cities, counties, and tribes across the state, encouraging and supporting new ways of meeting the evolving expectations of public safety in communities across Minnesota. The budget also invests in recruiting peace officers who represent the population of our state and reducing violent crime by providing investigative support to local agencies. The budget also funds several grant programs to invest in the changing needs of communities as they address increased crime, providing funding for Minnesota’s community-based crime prevention grants that fund such programs as probation, youth services, truancy programs, elder abuse prevention, neighborhood watch, resident engagement, and other community-driven intervention and prevention strategies.

Fund a Statewide Violent Crime Initiative
Increased violent crime is a threat to thriving communities across Minnesota. Effective violent crime strategies must employ a coordinated approach of prevention, intervention, and enforcement. This proposal will leverage forensic science to identify perpetrators of violence and clear the innocent, use analytics to strategically identify those committing violent crimes, and leverage partnerships to investigate violent crimes. Critical resource gaps currently exist in some of our most challenges communities. This investment will create the capacity to provide much needed assistance to address violent crime.

Invest in community groups to prioritize youth intervention and juvenile justice
Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan propose providing resources to programs serving youth, including after school activities, tutoring, mentoring, and other services for youth. The Walz-Flanagan budget also provides funding to develop community-based alternatives to juvenile detention, including ongoing funding to establish Community Outpost Houses and invest in TRUCE youth conflict resolution centers to connect community members can connect with outreach programs; learn about applicable government services; obtain community meeting spaces; host mentoring and tutoring programs; and provide youth conflict resolution, suicide awareness and counseling, health and wellness, entrepreneurship, and leadership programs. This proposal is focused on building relationships and trust within communities; providing opportunities to create relationships between community and local law enforcement; reducing crime; and providing youth with a place to resolve conflict in a positive non-violent manner. The budget also establishes Crossover Youth Practice Model and Dual Status Youth Programs in counties throughout Minnesota to support youth who are both in child welfare and juvenile justice systems.