Center of the American Experiment’s public safety policy fellow David Zimmer joined law enforcement leaders, legislators and advocates today for a press conference at the State Capitol urging Minnesota law makers to pass legislation to help law enforcement improve non-fatal shooting solve rates in the state.
The legislation was proposed last year in a joint effort between the Minnesota Justice Research Center and Center of the American Experiment. The effort is aimed at improving the solve rates of an historically difficult crime to solve – nonfatal shootings involving street conflict where victims and witnesses are frequently reluctant to cooperate.
A handful of law enforcement agencies around the country have begun responding to non-fatal shootings with the same emphasis given to murders – and the results have led to dramatically improved solve rates and a marked reduction in retaliatory violence. But the effort requires a significant reprioritization of resources which has proven difficult for many agencies during the current law enforcement staffing crisis.
The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Paul Police Department initiated an effort in 2024 using a combination of state and local funding. As a result, St. Paul’s non-fatal shooting solve rate improved from 37% in 2024 to 71% in 2025, while at the same time the city experienced a 62% decrease in non-fatal shootings and a 55% decrease in “shots fired” incidents.
The original legislation was introduced this session by Rep. Cedrick Frazier and Senator Doran Clark in HF2742/SF3347. The legislation advanced through committee hearings during the session and is now being debated as part of the overall public safety omnibus bill.
If passed, the measure would create a grant program for law enforcement agencies with a demonstrated need to apply for funding supporting collaborative efforts to improve non-fatal shooting solve rates. Jurisdictions that have implemented this approach have found that improved solve rates equate to less violence and an improvement in trust and confidence in the criminal justice system.
This legislation represents solid, proven public policy that will reduce the level of violence in our state if passed. Legislators should recognize the broad coalition of support behind the effort and work to pass it into law. The results will undoubtedly lay the foundation for similar efforts by law enforcement to improve public safety in Minnesota.
