Listening and ready to work

Ward 1 St. Paul City Council

Dai Thao, St. Paul Council Member

By Dai Thao

ward1@ci.stpaul.mn.us

I am angered by and strongly condemn the tragic and unjust murder of Mr. George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. Imagine yourself on the ground. Put yourself on the floor in the position that Mr. Floyd was in. Now have someone put 200 pound of weight on your neck with their knee. I bet it won’t end well. It’s murder, and I urge and support Attorney General Keith Ellison to increase the charge against Derek Chauvin to first-degree murder and to swiftly bring justice to all officers involved. In my capacity as the city council member for Ward 1, I am committed to further and increased transparency and accountability with the city of St. Paul’s operations.

I hope to see open and renewed dialogue around how our city prioritizes its funds. In regard to the St. Paul Police Department, I want to see a continued and invigorated focus on de-escalation practices and shift to building and funding mental health resources for those in crisis. I also want to continue working with my city council colleagues to focus on community-first public safety strategies; for example, creating a People’s Cabinet and funding community organizations working with youth and restorative justice organizations.

As we move forward as a city in our rebuilding and healing process, I hope that the hunger for justice and change remains. I want to hear from more people and bring more voices to the decision-making table. I am listening and ready to work with you all.