Minnesota DFLers — the DLF stands for Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party —say a new program to recruit and retain police officers "with strong moral character" will help address a statewide staffing shortage and build law enforcement agencies that look more like the communities they serve.
The program, outlined in legislation that a group of House and Senate Democrats unveiled Monday, would provide free tuition, job placement assistance, signing and retention bonuses and other incentives to "highly qualified" high school and college graduates who pursue law enforcement training through the Minnesota State system.
"We have put together a bill that is built on the premise that Minnesota can recruit, can hire, can train and can retain the kinds of police officers who reflect our communities' values," said House Majority Leader Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, the bill's chief author. He described the proposal as "the product of a long set of conversations I have had with police chiefs and sheriffs."
