(NewsNation Now) — The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a budget Thursday that will move about $8 million from the police department toward violence prevention and other programs — but will keep the mayor’s targeted staffing levels for sworn officers intact.
Mayor Jacob Frey said the vote was a defining moment for the city, which has experienced soaring crime rates amid calls to defund the police since the May 25 death of George Floyd.
Police have recorded 532 gunshot victims this year as of last Thursday, more than double the same period a year ago. Carjackings have also spiked to 375 so far this year, up 331% from the same period last year. Violent crimes have topped 5,100, compared with just over 4,000 for the same period in 2019.
As the violent crime rates have increased, so have the number of officers leaving the force.
NewsNation’s Marni Hughes talked with Ronald Meuser Jr., attorney and founder, Meuser, Yackley & Rowland, P.A. who represents 180 Minneapolis police officers.
“The vast majority of those officers that are leaving are officers who are suffering from both physical and mental injuries with a significant portion of those being individuals suffering from what I would describe PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder,” said Meuser.
Click on the video player above for the full interview.