Newsmakers: Hennepin County’s Jeff Lunde Talks Law Enforcement Shortage
Hennepin County is looking ahead in 2025. Commissioner Jeff Lunde discussed several Hennepin County initiatives in today’s Newsmakers segment, including what he described as a “desperate need” for more police officers.
Hennepin County Will Launch Law Enforcement Study
Lunde helped author a study that will look at law enforcement in Hennepin County communities over the next 5-10 years.
“Right now we are short officers. What’s it going to be like in 5 years, 10 years? What are those costs going to be,” said Lunde. “How are we going to have enough people who are qualified and licensed law enforcement?”
Lunde says the study will look countywide and try to provide guidance to come up with good policy to get more people in the profession.
Mental Health Facility to Open
Lunde is excited about a mental health facility that will open in Minneapolis this next year. He says Hennepin County is working with the state to launch the facility.
“There’s been a lot of talk about kids in the justice system committing crimes that have mental health or behavorial issues,” said Lunde. “[It will be] specifically for kids who are having behavioral mental health issues, acting out those in violent ways, and it will be a place to start to help them get the care that they need.”
Lunde says another plus for the facility is that when people move through the continuum of care, the youth will be able to remain close to their families.
Annual Homeless Count
Lunde will be participating in the annual homeless count in late January. Lunde says the county works with local police departments and nonprofits to get an idea of where people who are homeless might be.
“You’re just driving around and seeing what you can see,” said Lunde, who will be driving along and helping with the count. “We’re just trying to get where are they, and how many are there, so we can make sure we have all the resource in the right places.”
A Blue Line LRT Update
Lastly, Lunde provided an update on the Blue Line Extension project, which recently completed municipal consent and will focus this year on station planning and community engagement.
“If all goes well, we could see progress in just a couple of years,” Lunde said.
For more on these initiatives, visit the Hennepin County website.
