On Monday morning, Minnesota Senator Karla Bigham joined House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler and members of the House DFL caucus to unveil new legislation aimed at supporting local police departments with the recruitment and retention of police officers in Minnesota. Senator Bigham is the author of the companion bill, SF 3316, in the Senate. She is quoted as saying, “I am proud to support this proposal, which will help our police departments address acute staffing shortages at this critical moment”, adding that “this legislation will focus on supporting law enforcement recruits with tuition reimbursement and hiring bonuses while also creating a clear pathway to become a police officer in Minnesota. It will also help communities to dedicate personnel and resources to crime prevention and proactive community policing.” Bigham is hopeful that the Senate majority will take up this bill in committee and move forward as a legislature to address this issue, which is top of mind for many Minnesotans, according to Bigham.
