A Cautionary Tale of Defunding the Police

In the wake of university leaders embracing the 'defund the police' movement, the University of Minnesota’s Dinkytown finds itself facing unforeseen consequences. Campus safety should never be compromised. Unfortunately, recent decisions have led to increased expenditure in an attempt to maintain a secure environment for our students, who now live in fear without the police presence they once relied upon.

In 2020, the University of Minnesota publicly cut ties with the Minneapolis Police Department. Since then, Dinkytown has seen a troubling trend of crimes committed in Dinkytown’s suburbs. And now they are backtracking. University regents are going to...fund the police.

Numerous cities and institutions that initially embraced the defund-the-police movement found themselves grappling with escalating crime rates. The void left by reducing police presence was quickly filled by criminal activities, leaving many students to feel vulnerable and unsafe.

The University of Minnesota faced similar challenges when it witnessed a spike in thefts, assaults, robberies, rapes, and shootings. The impact of these "manufactured tantrums" by officials had a real and negative effect on the safety of everyday people.

Across the country, calls to defund the police were often accompanied by demands to remove military-grade weapons and resources. Unfortunately, these virtue-signaling measures did little to improve the lives of communities; in fact, they might have inadvertently contributed to a rise in crime

As UofM university leaders bought into the 'defund the police' movement, the cost of their decision is becoming increasingly evident. The unforeseen need to allocate substantial funds to address security concerns highlights the potential repercussions of disregarding the importance of law enforcement. These expenses could have been better utilized to enhance educational experiences and support student success.

The consequences of defunding the police and pursuing alternative strategies are starting to become evident. As crime rates continue to soar, communities will suffer, and innocent individuals will be victimized. While some city leaders may oppose the ballot measure to defund the police, there is a growing concern that their stance may not be enough to protect the people they serve.