Crime is soaring in Minneapolis since the George Floyd death. Many cops fearful of liability issues have dramatically reduced traffic stops, patrolling in high crime areas, and pro-active policing.
Proactive surveillance in Minneapolis dropped dramatically after George Floyd’s murder last year, though violent crime soared, new analysis shows as the city prepares to vote on a ballot initiative to abolish the police force.
In the year after Floyd’s death, traffic controls in Minneapolis fell 74 percent, patrols in known problem areas dropped 76 percent and suspicious stops dropped 75 percent, according to a Reuters poll.
Confidential law enforcement sources said that part of the slowdown was due to staff shortages during an exodus from the department, but that much of the reduction in policing was due to fears of becoming involved in an incident that could go viral in a climate of anti-police sentiment.
An official said some Minneapolis police officers even deliberately walk farther than necessary to respond to emergency calls in hopes that the emergency will be resolved when they arrive.
In April, the average police response time to 911 calls was 40 percent longer than the previous year.