Minneapolis city staff say they are feeling increasingly unsafe when interacting with the public. Over the past few months, there has been a jump in the number of employees across all departments reporting harassment, threats and acts of violence, according to the city.
The situation has gotten to the point where city leaders are considering creating an employee safety committee to specifically address staff concerns and to provide training around violence awareness and avoidance.
The new wave of harassment has been aimed at “particularly public works and traffic control,” interim city coordinator Heather Johnston told a meeting of the City Council’s Policy and Government Oversight Committee on Monday, though she did not offer any data detailing the number of incidents. Johnston noted that traffic control is one of the more “diverse teams” in the city and that they are experiencing an “increasing amount of violence.”
[image_caption]Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw[/image_caption]
Council Member Emily Koski, who represents south Minneapolis’ Ward 11, said that while doing a ride-along in a snowplow and touring a public works building earlier this year, the top concern expressed by staff was about their safety. “Just being out in the vehicles and being out around Minneapolis constituents,” she said.
According to a resolution drafted by City Council Member Jeremiah Ellison, along with providing training and creating the safety committee, the city will “develop a protocol for ensuring that employees who are subject to harassment, threats or acts of violence are provided needed resources to address physical injuries or trauma related to such incidents.”
[image_caption]Council Member Emily Koski[/image_caption]
“To just being sober about the moment we are in, many of our employees will only be safe when the public perceives them as servants of a community who are trustworthy and are not acting with violence and racial bias, as was indicated in the Minnesota Department of Human Rights report,” said Wonsley Worlobah, referencing the recent MDHR report that found that Minneapolis police have for years engaged in a “pattern of discriminatory, race-based policing.”
[image_caption]Minneapolis Councilmember Jeremiah Ellison[/image_caption]
Wonsley Worlobah noted that the City Council does not have authority over the Police Department, which is under the mayor’s purview. “The elephant in the room is that we have a dysfunctional department in MPD that’s largely contributing to the illegitimacy of the great work that many of our other city departments are doing in our community,” said Wonsley Worlobah.
[image_caption]Council Member Robin Wonsley Worlobah[/image_caption]
“I’ll be supporting this,” Wonsley Worlobah said about the city staff safety resolution, “recognizing there is a part where we have to do a lot of work rebuilding public trust.”
After passing through committee, the resolution was forwarded to be considered by full City Council on May 12.
Let me understand this. People are afraid of police. Absolutely some people are. And the reaction of some – harass or assault city employees? Bullying justifies further bullying? That is like the child who is physically abuse by a parent and later does the same to a child. Anger leading to violence is never justified.
This is a parenting and community issue. We need to treat others with respect. Remember “can’t we just get along?” People need to remember Rodney King.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_King#:~:text=During%20the%20riots%2C%20on%20May,older%20people%20and%20the%20kids%3F
I agree with Ian, most people in Minneapolis are idiots. Look who voted for Joe Biden, for god sakes. He’s nearly destroyed our economy just like the Democrats destroyed Minneapolis
Nice try at misdirection and misinformation! Suspect its something you figured you could can get by, but evidently you got caught by the box of rocks!
“develop a protocol for ensuring that employees who are subject to harassment, threats or acts of violence are provided needed resources to address physical injuries or trauma related to such incidents.”?? Seriously, that is our answer?? How about stopping the harassments or threats from happening in the first place!!!
“The elephant in the room is that we have a dysfunctional department in MPD” No, the elephant in the room is that we have a totally dysfunctional City Council! What next, blame the MPD for potholes and littered streets?
As a Minneapolis resident, I’ve lived downtown or downtown-adjacent since 2008. I can absolutely tell you MPD is dysfunctional, and I’ve witnessed that dysfunction on more than one occasion. The department is in desperate need of reform, but every time someone has tried the police union has shut that reform down. Residents who distrust the police don’t do so simply because they “hate the police.” MPD has earned the reputation it currently has.
Why are some people so crazy in Minneapolis? I have been in some despair over this for 4 years. I partly blame the magnetron of fentanyl.
“The elephant in the room is that we have a dysfunctional department in MPD”
Excuse to be thugs.
I have not spent any $$ in that city since it was burnt down. Used to be many trips and $$ spent.