Supporting Brave First Responders
Police officers and first responders face incredibly tough jobs, often under the most difficult circumstances. That’s why I’ve consistently supported them throughout my career. But with that support comes a responsibility. When someone in uniform uses unnecessary force, or violates due process, they must be held accountable. At the same time, we need to equip first responders with the tools, training, and policies they need to succeed. When I was Mayor, I even offered to donate my salary to pay for police staffing.
While I was Mayor of Lakeville, we worked hard to ensure first responders had the technology, equipment, and personnel needed to do their jobs effectively and safely. I fought to secure funding for new computer equipment and dedicated personnel to fight against the growing problem of online crime, a program that has led to numerous leads and arrests. At the MN Capitol, I fought to prioritize public safety by ensuring that our public safety departments have the support they need to succeed. That included preserving the pensions for police officers and firefighters, funding the Dakota County SMART center for best practices training, opposing cuts to police staff.
People deserve police officers they can trust, which means funding pathways for all types of people to become cops and making it easier for law enforcement agencies to hire new cops from the community with non-traditional backgrounds. I will also fight to ensure our law enforcement agencies are equipped with the tools needed to address today’s problems, such as cyber crimes, fentanyl smuggling, and human trafficking.