Governor Walz, Mayor Larson, Public Safety Officials Discuss What $300 Million Public Safety Proposal Would Mean for Duluth

Press Release

Today, Governor Tim Walz stopped in Duluth on his statewide public safety tour to discuss what his public safety budget -- including $300 million for cities, counties, and tribes across the state -- would mean for Duluth and communities across the state. Under the Governor's budget, the average city in Minnesota would receive about $240,000 to invest in public safety -- Duluth would receive nearly $1.5 million per year. The Governor was joined by Duluth Mayor Emily Larson, Police Chief Mike Tusken, and Fire Chief Shawn Krizaj.

Today's roundtable discussion in Duluth follows recent public safety meetings Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan have had with community leaders in Brooklyn Park, Eagan, and North Minneapolis.

A detailed list of the funding that would be made available to each community is available online.

"No two communities are alike. As we've been meeting with city leaders and first responders across the state, they've made it clear: the public safety needs of a community are best met locally," said Governor Walz. "That's why my plan invests $300 million directly in local communities, providing cities like Duluth with nearly $1.5 million for additional law enforcement, training, or first responders to keep all of our neighbors safe."

"Governor Walz understands that public safety matters to everyone in Minnesota, but he also appreciates that it looks different in every city. Building budget opportunities which allow local government autonomy for investment is really important," said Mayor Larson. "Our Chiefs know Duluth best -- and they know where the dollars can go the farthest, and the fastest, to keep people safe. I'm grateful to Governor Walz and Commissioner Harrington for their support of local government and their dedication to the public safety of every Minnesotan."

"We are excited for this funding opportunity that is directed for public safety needs," said Fire Chief Krizaj. "We hope that we can use this funding if approved to meet firefighter health, safety and gender equity needs in our aging fire stations. We appreciate the Governor and Lieutenant Governor making public safety a priority."

"To move our mission forward, we need to have resources readily available to provide continuous improvement for our staff," said Police Chief Tusken. "The Duluth Police Department seeks to hire individuals who not only believe in our mission, but also model resiliency, live integrity, care compassionately, and exude empathy. To continue hiring quality employees, we need resources to recruit and retain individuals and provide them a pathway to policing. This funding would be instrumental in financing a skills training program, which will keep DPD at the forefront of people's minds when choosing a police department where they spend their entire career. We appreciate Governor Tim Walz taking the time to listen to our needs and helping us continue our mission."

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.

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