Ramsey Sharif province speaks to the Capitol concerns and the security legislator, the financing gap

Discussions are taking place on how to enhance security in Capitol Minnesota after the assassination and tried to assassinate two legislators in the state in June.

After the death of former House of Representatives, Melissa Hortmann and her husband, the shooting of Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Ramsey Sharif Bob Fletcher Province Metal detection devices in Capitol and a review of how legislators are notified that they may be at risk on the day of attacks. He sent messages that define his recommendations and criticism of the head of the Capitol security and the head of the censor in the weapon.

The state’s public safety officials have I pushed back Some, say the schedule of Flechcher to notify the legislators inaccurate.

The implementation of security recommendations from Fletcher and others fall under the scope of the Capitol Consultative Committee. It has not yet met since the shooting, but the group chair, Lieutenant Baiji Flaangan, He said on x The committee works with the application of the law “to ensure that the Capitol continues to be a safe place for the important work that is happening here.”

Fletcher, the former Fadnis Heights mayor and member of the St. Paul City Council, joined the MPR News Cathy Wurzer in Morning Edition to talk about his vision of Capitol’s security.

The following was given gently for clarity. Listen to the conversation by clicking the operator button above.

What is the growing security do you think is required in Capitol in Minnesota?

I made it clear to the Legislative Council how the Capitol complex can be secured by four or five entrances. Today’s technology is very great. We used it for 20 years in court. Ramsey County was the first security court in Minnesota. We put it in the state exhibition. You can move large quantities of people by discovering minerals without any weakness on their freedom.

In order to be honest, the legislators who spoke to them, and the public prefer to be inside the Capitol who know it is safe. In fact, I will steal a line from the twin television correspondent Mary Lashamm, who recently said: “You cannot have a public service if the elected officials are afraid of going out in public places.”

I think it’s really a good point. Let’s get a safe environment inside the Capitol. They can meet with legislators. Legislators do not worry about hiding in the halls. It is time.

Do you think that the past frequency about the use of metal detectors has slightly eased, given the ongoing events?

Well, I’m sure of that. The ruler indicated a willingness to put some security in it. In fact, it is the function of the Capitol Consultative Committee, Headed And five other legislators, to provide this recommendation, and the legislative body gave them this authority. It is also the mission of the Public Safety Commissioner to make recommendations.

Yes, I think people have realized that need in today’s world. During the past three years in American policy, we have seen a serious polarization and representatives ready to carry out threats of violence, whether that was the deliberate burning in the home of the governor of Pennsylvania state Josh Shapiru, attempts to assassinate President Trump and the Polsi series.

There are more and more actors ready to do so, and we need to stay at the top of the afternoon.

The last bonding bill allocated $ 2 million to security. What does it buy?

Well, not enough. It may be a project of $ 10 million. Then, of course, some employees, allocate employment. The Legislative Authority approved security systems for the role of legislators. This was a good plus. Some of them implemented the cameras.

But this is not only. I have received many calls from people who are afraid to go to the marches of the fourth of July, and they want security to move already in a procession. We cannot have a reflective response to the government if our elected officials are afraid to be in public places.

Who is responsible for telling legislators that they are in danger, and what should be changed in terms of safety outside the Capitol?

Well, this was the purpose of my message to determine his job. On Wednesday, we had to extract information with the Public Safety Commissioner. There were 150 police chiefs and police chiefs who were on the call, and the main issue that was raised is notification, delay in notification and type of information obtained.

The Commissioner has committed to the post -working report on Hortman and Hofmann and a study to determine how to improve the notification.

That’s all we want. We want to improve. I think there is complete confusion about his job. For example, we haven’t received a call until 6:45 am that there is a shooting. I tried to get the names of those who were in an alleged strike list. We did not get an arms e -mail in the ARMS with the names of legislators in the suburbs until 7:57.

Fortunately, though, I received an invitation to the Minnesota Criminal Criminal Criminal Office, and gave me many of these names between 7 and 8 in order to be able to obtain security in their homes. I have an email sent to all DFL members who were not notified until 6:42, and when they were notified, it was not information about not responding to your door if someone pretends to be a police officer.

So there is improvement. I think we’ll do that. We hope that the Commissioner can reach consensus on how to address this in the future. But there are all kinds of technologies now available for Ping People phones, just like the hurricane alert, to inform them of a danger and they must contact or read a text. So we just need to improve.