In the two years since George Floyd’s murder and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Minnesota has seen a rise in both violent crime and renewed calls for police reform. 

Last year, violent crimes such like aggravated assault and murder were up 22 percent in Minnesota compared to 2020, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Voters are carrying their public safety concerns to the ballot box.

Public safety is ranked the second-most-important issue for Minnesota voters as the November election approaches, after the economy and jobs. In the election for governor, public safety is the top issue for one in four Minnesotans, according to a September poll by MPR News, the Star Tribune and KARE 11. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about public safety and the role it might play as Minnesotans cast their ballots on Election Day. 

Guests: 

• James Densley is a professor and chair of the department of criminal justice at the Brooklyn Park campus of Metropolitan State University. He has done research on criminal networks, violence, and policing and is the author of the book, “The Violence Project: How to Stop A Mass Shooting Epidemic.”

• Matthew Horace is the Chief Security Officer at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He has 28 years of law enforcement experience on the federal and local level, including time at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He’s also the author of the book “The Black And The Blue: A Cop Reveals The Crimes, Racism and Injustice in America’s Law Enforcement.”

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.