When Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey presented his proposed budget for 2027, he returned again and again to a familiar theme: tough times call for tough decisions about which programs work for the city and which don’t.
In line with that, Frey proposed “doubling down” on the city’s Community Safety Ambassador program, citing “early signs of success.”
Conversely, he said, funding would drop for violence interrupters, calling it a “noble program filled with committed and talented community leaders,” but one that “has not demonstrated the level of results taxpayers deserve.”
Frey’s compliments came as cold comfort to Muhammad Abdul-Ahad, executive director of T.O.U.C.H Outreach. The nonprofit is one of the three organizations funded by the city to train and employ violence interrupters – people with deep community connections who walk the streets seeking to build relationships, alleviate tensions and connect neighbors to resources.
“If you’re going to take one of the pivotal public safety programs or responses out of the city of Minneapolis … What does that say about you supporting the public’s safety when it comes to community violence, gun violence?”
