ST. PAUL, MN – Today the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension released its annual crime report showing a dramatic increase in crime against citizens and law enforcement. The report highlights the increase in criminal activity between 2019 and 2020 and doesn’t include the continued rise of criminal activity in 2021.
“Today’s report confirms what we’ve been talking about for several years at the Senate: violent criminals are finding more victims and lenient accountability measures in the judicial system are not keeping people safe,” said Senate Public Safety and Judiciary Committee Chair Warren Limmer (R- Maple Grove). “Whether it’s Walz’s pathetic five-year cap on probation, apathetic prosecuting by county attorneys, or the Minneapolis City Council support for the ‘defund the police’ movement, criminals are running the streets, innocent children are being shot, and law enforcement is struggling to keep up. This report shows the result of dangerous public safety policies and sentiments supported by the progressive left.”
The report cites a 16.6% increase in violent crime and a record-breaking number of murders in 2020 at 185, an increase of 58.1% from 2019. Arson rose by 53.7%, motor vehicle theft by 19.7%, and the value of stolen goods rose by 54.5%. There were also a record 667 instances of a police officer or officers being assaulted in the line of duty, a 62% increase from 2019.
Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) also weighed in, saying, “This is why you can’t go soft on crime. It’s hard to see these numbers for arson, theft, and assaults on police and wonder: Would it have been better if Gov. Walz stopped the riots right away last year?”
“That failure of leadership has led to children being shot in their backyard by stray bullets, law enforcement struggling to recruit officers, and communities suffering across the state,” continued Gazelka. “Everyone needs to take a step back and ask what kind of future we want to leave our children. A future with rampant crime, no repercussions, and without police is not the future I want for Minnesota.”