Candidates address gang violence at Minnesota gubernatorial debate

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Candidates laid out their plans to respond to ongoing gang violence and gang activity during the Minnesota gubernatorial debate.

In an announcement from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension this week, more than 40 local, state, and federal law enforcement agreed to coordinate a strategy and provide resources to address the issue.

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar recalled her term as Minnesota’s top prosecutor with a dedicated unit for gang activity. She also recounted the plan she had previously released with Ramsey County Attorney, John Choi, and police chiefs to combat gang activity:

“What we need to do here is make clear that gangsters have no place in Minnesota. That starts with working with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension,” Klobuchar stated. “Using everything they have at their power to help people and law enforcement agencies that need it. That means more police officers. We are now 1,000 officers short and that’s going to double.”

Klobuchar continued to say she would support these efforts with improved benefits and salaries for police officers.

Speaker of the House, Lisa Demuth, mentioned she had been endorsed by the Minnesota Federation of Police and discussed a previous roundtable she had held to develop solutions for gang violence:

“What we know is when law enforcement is able to do the jobs that they’ve been called to do... our problems could be taken care of in very short order,” Demuth said. “I have a gang task force that will be comprised of state, local and federal officials to get a hold of this and make our state safer and that will be statewide, ongoing, not just a response to a current tragedy.”

Demuth also criticized Klobuchar’s alignment with proponents of the “Defund the Police” movement, such as Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar and Attorney General Keith Ellison.

Klobuchar responded that she had received multiple awards from law enforcement agencies, namely as this year’s Legislator of the Year by the Major County Sheriffs.

You can watch their exchange in the clip below.

The full gubernatorial debate is available to view on our website.

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