I haven't posted anything about this crisis that St. Paul is facing in the last
few weeks. Outlandish shots fired calls, murders and innocent civilians
getting rounds in their houses. Enough is enough!
Tonight at about 1815hrs (6:15 P. M.) at Griggs and Thomas in the Midway, one
of our SPPD police officer's squad car was rear-ended and the driver, the
assailant charged at our SPPD officer with a knife. On emergency radio
traffic, an officer could be heard shouting, βDrop the knife, drop the knife!β
Our SPPD officer shot and killed this assailant! Thankfully our SPPD officer
will be able to return home to his family! Many prayers were answered!!
Having recently completed the St. Paul Police Citizens Academy and participated
in a recent ride-a-long, I got to see firsthand what our police department
faces everyday! We have outstanding officers and it really pains me to see
what our dedicated officers have to go through on a daily basis due to
political gamesmanship being played by our elected leaders (mayor and city
council) and reality on the street they have been going through these last two
weeks. Yes Mayor Carter and City Council, I am calling you out on your lack of
action and lack of understanding of the situation and your budget decisions!
I stand in stark opposition to Mayor Carter and his planned reduction to our
SPPD and SPFD departments with the Mayor's reduction of police officers and the
reduction to the training of our fire department officers. This is really
shameful and in my mind a really dumb move by our mayor when 911 calls are up
by 23% last year alone! Reducing our public safety readiness in both the fire
department and police departments is just plain foolish!
It really pains me to see our once great city turned into the mess that it is.
No, I am not running for any office, but I just cringe at the direction that
our city is headed and the lack of leadership by our city council and mayor in
regards to public safety. It is really shocking with their "laissez faire"
attitude, like Council Member Nelson's statements (Ward 4) about needing more
information. Ms. nelson just look out your door at the shots fired, the 23%
increase in 911 calls and you somehow thing a reduction in police officers is
the answer? Ms. Nelson ask any police officer if you need more information!
More city resources are being devoted to social engineering than to basic
public safety. The streets are crap, the roads are not plowed in the winter
like they once were and maybe this has to do with the "politically appointed"
Public Works Director instead of a trained and qualified Public Works Director?
I am tired of the high property taxes being diverted to fake City Hall
positions. Over half of the mayor's cabinet could be cut and their $2000,000
in salary and benefits could be used in providing more public safety (Fire and
police). Our mayor wants to cut our public safety while not cutting any of his
fluff cabinet positions (Director of Community-First Public Safety Initiatives,
Chief Equity Officer, Chief Innovation Officer, Chief Resilience Officer,
Library Social Worker, Deputy Director of human services).
St. Paul needs to be safe and currently under Mayor Carter and our City Council
we are not safe! Mayor Carter's continual attack against our dedicated police
officers and fireman/women is shocking!
I say, "Enough is Enough!"
"How many more citizens need to have bullets coming through their windows?"
"How many more children need bullets coming through their bedroom walls?"
"How many cars need to be shot up by gang members shooting at each other?"
Link: KSTP had a clip of just a shootout in St. Paul the other day! Link:
https://kstp.com/news/video-captures-wild-shootout-in-st-paul-doorbell-camera/5484570/?cat=1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KSTP-TV&fbclid=IwAR2ctUxw5OuYoF_3On13Zd2clPsfE-jY_1UDMtb9tfZdtZdRQ4n9vFpmpUw
These are not isolated incidents, but they are happening in REAL time Mayor
Carter and City Council!
I have not posted anything here waiting to see if some concerned citizen on
SPIF thought that this a critical enough issue to post here. Maybe topics on
SPIF like : "Outside consultants for district & chartered public schools" or
how our SPPS school district facilities director over spent his budget by $179
million somehow take prescience over our basic safety and having to duck as
shots are being fired in our city. Please correct me if I am wrong here, but
hearing the gun shots being fired while on a recent trip to what is left of
Midway Shopping Center is really very concerning to me and those of us who had
to duck in the parking lot!
With the money that is being spent on social engineering in our city our mayor
and city council really need to focus on the basic needs of our city like
public safety before it turns into another Flint, Michigan or Chicago, IL.
I pray that our police officers and firefighters return home safely tonight and
may St. Michael watch over them!
Sincerely.
John Krenik
St. Paul, MN