MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Back in 2019, Minneapolis police provided 38% of event security coverage at Minneapolis parks, according to Al Bangoura, Parks and Rec Superintendent.
That number dropped in 2020 following the death of George Floyd when the parks board drafted and signed Resolution 2020-232, cutting all ties between the Minneapolis parks and MPD during park-sanctioned events, and preventing their park officers from helping on calls directed toward Minneapolis officers.
Now that the city is coming out of the pandemic, activities and events are picking up again and it's become clear that the parks can't continue without public safety help. The State Patrol, U of M police, Metro Transit Police and Hennepin County Sheriff's Office have all said they are not able to help cover park events, and MPD appears to be the best option.
Parks commissioners say it is in the interest of public safety for them to coordinate and cooperate with the MPD in order for their events to go as seamlessly as possible. They maintain that without the extra security help, the number of special events they host will need to be reduced.
The Minneapolis parks board of directors is meeting Wednesday afternoon to discuss how to best go about this shift after previously severing ties with the Minneapolis Police Department in 2020.
Earlier this week, a former Minneapolis Parks Board member took to social media to share his thoughts on the partnership, calling the new resolution "galling" since the resolution had been unanimously passed in both 2020 and 2021.
Cowgill also write "All I can say at this point is I certainly hope the current board president and commissioner Musich vote against, as they both voted to ratify this resolution on multiple occasions. "
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