Three Democratic City Council members spend $152,000 in taxpayer money
Andrea Jenkins was among the three Democrat council members who racked up the security costs
Three Democratic Minneapolis City Council members have racked up a staggering $152,000 in personal security costs after calling for the police force to be defunded.
The three Democrat officials – Andrea Jenkins (Ward 8), Phillipe Cunningham (Ward 4), and Alondra Cano (Ward 9) – spent the whopping $152k in taxpayer money after claiming they’d received “death threats” in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Jenkins, Cunningham, and Cano were granted a security detail shortly after Memorial Day, which cost the city about $4,500 a day and ended on June 29, according to an investigative report by the local Fox 9 news outlet.
Two private security firms, Aegis and BelCom, were reportedly hired because police officials were overwhelmed with Black Lives Matter protests and anti-police rioting in the weeks following Floyd’s death.
During the unrest, Jenkins, in particular, was a prominent figure amid the anti-cop demonstrations and made vocal calls to defund the police.
“This security service was intended to be temporary and bridge to other security measures implemented by council members themselves,” a spokesperson for the city told Fox News.
Phillipe Cunningham and Alondra Cano hired taxpayer-funded private security after calling to defund the police
The City Council does not need to approve any expenses unless they exceed $175,000.
The costs were therefore approved by City Coordinator Mark Ruff.
“The contracts are within existing department budget limits,” the spokesperson told Fox News Tuesday.
“The contracts will not impact future tax rates,” they added.
The Mayor’s office could not be reached for comment, but a spokesperson for the City said that the cost of the security detail a day, was roughly the same for the taxpayer as Minneapolis Police Department services.
The threats on the council members’ lives were reportedly made after all three members were outspoken about defunding the police.
The largely white police force has had a difficult time in gaining the public’s trust, and a proposal to defund the police and replace the force with “a department of community safety and violence prevention” is being reviewed.
Andrea Jenkins made several public appearances during anti-police protests calling to defund the police
A public hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday for members of the community to ask questions or voice their concerns.
According to a Fox 9 news report from earlier this week, 150 Minneapolis police officers are seeking disability for post-traumatic stress following the George Floyd protests.
A total of 25 police officers have quit since the demonstrations and an additional 25 have sought extended leave.
No comments:
Post a Comment