Minneapolis Police Budget Expands Despite Calls to Reduce Funding

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis Police Department’s budget has expanded despite calls to reduce funding for law enforcement in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

The Star Tribune reported Saturday that the department currently has a $196 million budget, up about $3 million from the beginning of 2020.

Floyd, a Black man, died that May after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for almost nine minutes. The incident prompted nationwide protests with rallying cries of “defund the police.” Elected officials trimmed the department’s budget and then slowly added the money back until this year they exceeded previous amounts, bolstered by federal COVID-19 relief aid.

City budget experts say costs have risen, including raises and retention bonuses approved as part of a new union contract. The city is requiring the department to pay more into the self-insurance fund to cover a range of legal and other claims. And even though the agency has lost about 260 officers city officials still budget for an average of 756 to 750 officers. The city charter requires a police force with a minimum number of officers based on population.

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