Mayor: Rochester has no plans to shrink police budget

Rochester Mayor Kim Norton said Thursday she does not expect the city to make cuts to its police budget, despite calls from activists urging municipalities to reallocate police funding toward social programs.

“Public safety isn’t going to shrink in its importance in our community,” Norton said during a virtual town hall organized by Rochester for Justice, the Diversity Council, the Rochester branch of NCAAP, and others.

Pressed on the issue, the mayor said she believes the city can make strides in other areas of importance, while also continuing to sustain investments in law enforcement. The department’s 2020 budget is $30.5 million, or about a third of the city’s entire operating budget.

“Am I going to cut the police budget to fund other programs? I think probably the answer is no. Does it mean that we won’t focus on those other programs? Yes [we will]. I am just not sure public safety, the number one thing that the community wants, is where it’s going to come from,” said Norton, adding that the county is responsible for most social services.

The two-hour long forum, held over Facebook Live, also included Police Chief Jim Franklin, Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson and other local officials answering questions from the NCAAP’s W. C. Jordan.

Sandra Ewing, the police department’s professional standards manager, also participated in the town hall. She pledged to release additional reporting on how often police use force, why it was used, and whether it was justified under the circumstances. Ewing said she believes herself to be the only civilian professional standards manager in the state.

The town hall, which touched on a myriad of subjects, from police protocols to the use of officers inside schools, was held the same day Gov. Tim Walz endorsed a sweeping package of reforms to policing. The proposed changes include expanding training and oversight of police, prohibiting chokeholds and warrior training, and setting up community alternatives to policing.

Those proposals will be brought before the Minnesota Legislature when members return for a special session. Back here in Rochester, organizers of Thursday’s town hall said they expect to announce a second event soon.

The full video from Thursday’s town hall can be found here.

Cover photo licensed via Getty