Governor Tim Walz is set to meet with public safety officials Thursday as communities across the state are planning to receive public safety aid from the state.
Walz told Tom Hauser on the WCCO Morning News that it's the local leaders who know how to best spend the allocated $300 million.
"The reason I advocated for this is because the public safety needs are not the same in every community, and the folks that know this best are the folks that are on the ground," said Walz.
The governor told WCCO that there are several different areas the money can be used.
"Whether it's purchasing new equipment for firefighters, whether it's EMT's, or whether it's hiring police officers which we know are understaffed in certain communities, and it's hard to fill," says the governor.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue is set to disperse the money next week to help fund public safety initiatives.
Walz also said that police officers statewide need more support.
"I do think in many cases, you just need to hire more officers," says Walz. "In other places they need more support with them. Whether that's mental health counselors, or coming January 1st they're going to have red flag protective orders. Get some of the handguns out of the hands of these folks who are just unstable."
Walz said police officers he has talked to statewide told him there are too many guns, many of which are modified and need to be taken off the streets.
Extreme risk protection orders, also known as “red flag laws,” allows a family member, guardian, city or county attorney, or police chief to intervene when someone is at high risk of injuring themselves or others with a firearm.
It was passed as part of the legislature's gun safety measures during the last session in May.