Paper discounts worthy candidates — like me

My name is Clint Conner and I am running for mayor of Minneapolis.

On Sept. 26, this paper published "Can hard 'lessons' win Frey votes?" The article promotes an unsubstantiated narrative regarding how this race is unfolding. It characterizes three candidates as the mayor's "most active challengers."

Our campaign is extremely active and we are receiving overwhelmingly positive support, as reflected by our constituent engagement, our extensive newsletter community and the prevalence of our lawn signs around town. A number of candidates are being discounted. We need to let voters decide this race for themselves.

Since filing my candidacy on Aug. 9, I have had the privilege of meeting thousands of residents on the campaign trail. Their questions and concerns are centered around public safety and most think things are spiraling out of control.

I have learned there is widespread confusion about who has responsibility regarding the police. Many are surprised to learn our city charter gives the mayor "complete power over the establishment, maintenance, and command of the police department." This includes day-to-day supervision and the responsibility to "make all rules and regulations" and to "enforce general and special orders necessary to operating the police department."

The Sept. 26 article does not make clear that the mayor has had responsibility for commanding the police department during his four years in office. It also does not make clear the surge in violent crime. According to MPD data, 48 young people have been shot in Minneapolis so far this year.

I have heard some people say the increase in violent crime is not limited to Minneapolis. Few places have experienced the spike in violent crime and the brazen lawlessness we are seeing here. Look next door. Our neighbor St. Paul is roughly three-quarters the size of Minneapolis and yet its homicide count this year, as of Sept. 29 (29), was less than half of the Minneapolis number (71).

Many people say that Minneapolis has a weak mayoral system. Regarding police, that is absolutely not true. The charter uses the term "complete power" only once, to characterize the mayor's responsibility for police department operations.

I am running for mayor because we need bold leadership. We need a buck-stops-here mayor who will acknowledge and fully exercise his or her responsibility and authority to keep Minneapolis safe. I am the father of three and I want them to be safe in our city.

If I am elected mayor, together we will change the narrative immediately. We will inspire our good police officers to remain with us. We will build an unprecedented number of community-centered programs and relationships to build trust. We will implement a service-first mentality across the department. And we will recruit the next generation of diversity-minded people who want to be a part of our city.

At the same time, I commit to using the skills I honed as a litigator for 17 years to aggressively investigate the problems within the police department and fix what is broken. Those who stand in the way of evolving the department into a bias-free environment will be brought to light. Additionally, I commit to hiring mental health professionals and social workers to work with our police in all appropriate circumstances.

I look forward to connecting with more voters as we approach our election. If you want safe streets, stable and affordable housing, and a small-business boom, put your trust in me and vote Clint Conner as your top choice for mayor on Nov. 2. You can learn more about our campaign at https://www.clintconner2021.com.

Clint Conner is a candidate for mayor of Minneapolis.