Minneapolis city council members spend $ 63,000 of taxpayers’ money on private security details after receiving death threats from ‘white nationalists’ for voting to abolish the police department
- A city spokesman said private security details were ordered for council members Andrea Jenkins, Phillipe Cunningham and Alondra Cano.
- Security has been at the taxpayer’s expense, costing $ 63,000 for the past three weeks, or $ 4,300 per day.
- News of the deal came to light Friday, the same day the council voted 12-0 to abolish the Minneapolis Police Department.
- The new proposal would remove the existing police department and instead create a “community safety and violence prevention department.”
- While welcomed by those calling for the department to be ‘funded’, council members say they have received death threats from ‘white nationalists’
- The security detail is temporarily provided by two companies, Aegis and BelCom as an interim solution until other security solutions can be established.
- The security spending does not need to be approved by the city council unless it exceeds $ 175,000 and a spokesperson said the sum will probably not be reached.
Three members of the Minneapolis City Council received private security details after receiving death threats for supporting proposals to defend the city police department following the murder of George Floyd.
A city spokesman said the private security details ordered for council members Andrea Jenkins, Phillipe Cunningham and Alondra Cano have cost taxpayers $ 63,000 in the past three weeks, a rate of $ 4,300 per day.
News of the deal came to light on Friday, the same day the council voted 12-0 to abolish the Minneapolis Police Department, taking steps to establish ‘peace officers’ and a new ‘holistic’ approach to public safety.
The largely white police force has failed to regain confidence in the city after Floyd’s death. The new proposal would remove the existing police department and instead create a “community safety and violence prevention department.”
While the measures have been well received by protesters on city streets and calling for the department to be “rejected,” many of the council members said they have received death threats from “white nationalists” for publicly endorsing the proposal.
Three members of the Minneapolis City Council received private security details after receiving death threats for supporting proposals to defend the city police department following the murder of George Floyd (Councilman Andrea Jenkins was shown at a protest with the reverend al sharpton)
Phillipe Cunningham (left) and Alondra Cano (right) also received security, costing taxpayers $ 63,000 in the past three weeks, a rate of $ 4,300 per day
The police murder of George Floyd has sparked riots and protests across the country calling for police reform and condemning systemic racism.
Councilman Phillipe Cunningham declined to discuss security measures when Fox 9 asked him.
“I am not comfortable discussing publicly the death threats against me or the level of security I currently have in protecting myself from those threats,” Cunningham wrote in a text message, adding that security is temporary.
Cano also declines to provide further details about the threats against her or the extent of her security.
Meanwhile, Councilwoman Andrea Jenkins said she has been asking for security since she was sworn in in 2018. Jenkins said the latest threats have come in the form of emails, letters, and social media posts.
“My concern is the large number of white nationalists[s] in our city and other threatening communications that I have been receiving, ‘he told the network.
The security detail is provided by two companies, Aegis and BelCom, as a temporary fix until other security solutions can be established.
When asked why MPD does not provide security for council members, a city spokesperson said the department’s resources are needed in other parts of the community. The hourly cost of private security is similar to the cost for a police officer, the spokesperson added.
While the measures have been well received by protesters on city streets and calling for the department to be “rejected,” many of the council members said they have received death threats from “white nationalists” for publicly endorsing the proposal.
Alondra Cano (pictured speaking during the ‘Path Forward’ meeting in Minneapolis on June 7) declined to speak about the nature of the threats directed at her
The Minneapolis Police Department, which would traditionally provide security in this scenario, told Fox 9 that it has no record of recent threats against the three council members, but admitted that the allegations have been filed confidentially.
Jenkins said she had not reported the threats to the MPD because she was concerned about concentrating her efforts on the current global coronavirus pandemic and the “global uprising” caused by Floyd’s death on Memorial Day.
Jenkins revealed that the threats have targeted her ethnicity, gender identity and sexuality.
The security expense does not need to be approved by the city council unless it exceeds $ 175,000. A city spokesperson told Fox 9 that temporary security costs are not expected to increase as much.
It is unclear who authorized the expenses. City Coordinator Mark Ruff and City Council President Lisa Bender have yet to comment on the matter.
.
