American Experiment launches campaign to support law enforcement after Twin Cities experiences spike in violent crime

A public awareness campaign launched this week by Center of the American Experiment seeks to inform Minnesotans of a dramatic increase in violent crime in the Twin Cities and give law enforcement supporters a voice in the public debate over the role of police in our communities.

Thirty-eight billboards across the greater metro area feature striking quotes from local media reports on violent attacks in the Twin Cities metro. Minnesotans are encouraged to visit the website SupportMNPolice.com, where they can sign a petition to support law enforcement, see crime data, learn about recent polling on Minnesotans’ views on police, and browse related news reports and commentary. The billboard artwork and map of locations is posted on American Experiment’s website.

American Experiment is also hosting a free, virtual event titled “The Truth About Crime, Race, and Policing in America” featuring Heather Mac Donald on Thursday, July 30 at 12:00pm. Mac Donald is the author of 2016 New York Times bestseller, The War on Cops: How the New Attack on Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe.

An overwhelming majority of Minnesotans have confidence in their local law enforcement and oppose plans to defund and disband police departments, according to a June poll by Center of the American Experiment.

The petition at SupportMNPolice.com reads:

We, the undersigned, support Minnesota’s law enforcement. We call on leaders in Minneapolis and in towns across Minnesota to make public safety their city’s top priority. America is a country built on laws that are equally enforced and protect every person’s human rights. This is a system worth defending.

We stand with residents of the Twin Cities who are living in fear, who have witnessed homicides, shootings, armed robberies, and violent carjackings in their neighborhoods daily. Minnesota’s constitution states, “Government is instituted for the security, benefit, and protection of the people.” Residents of Minnesota’s cities and towns must be able to count on their local government to vigorously defend their laws, protect their rights, and provide for their basic safety. We need the police!

The billboard artwork and map of locations is below.