The patrol bureau, tasked with responding to 911 calls, has lost 131 officers — which Arradondo says is the staffing equivalent of an entire precinct,
WCCO
reports.
Overtime hours due to staffing shortages has doubled since last year, finance director Robin McPherson told the council. The department also eliminated several units, like some community response teams and those focused on gangs and weapons.
“We are right now operating very much one dimensionally, ensuring that we have enough officers to respond to violent crimes as well as property crimes that may be in progress,” Arradondo said.
The budget discussion is almost exactly two weeks from the city’s election that will decide the fate of the police department as it is known today. There is a ballot proposal that, if approved by voters, would
remove the police department from the city charter replace it with a department of public safety
. It’s a move that proponents say is a comprehensive public health approach to public safety.