The Minneapolis Police Federation endorsed mayoral candidate Peter McLaughlin on Thursday, which came as no surprise given the group's constant complaints and ad spending against Mayor R.T. Rybak.
McLaughlin, a Hennepin County commissioner, and federation president Sgt. John Delmonico tried mightily to spin the announcement into a news event. The two, along with two more police officers, stood on the corner of 36th St. and Bryant Av. S. in front of Ron's Market, the site of a recent attack on a clerk.
McLaughlin promised to add 250 new police officers within five years, an increase from the 150 he had previously promised. He said 25 would be net additions and the other half would make up for 25 lost annually to retirements and departures until the department has 925 officers.
By McLaughlin's estimate, the officers would cost about $1.9 million more a year. He said the money could be found by extending debt payments rather than speeding them up as Rybak has done.
He compared the direction he would go to fixing a leaky roof on a house instead of doubling a mortgage payment, which he said Rybak has done.
McLaughlin also pledged to increase diversity, decrease police response times and increase the number of officers on bikes and walking patrols.
Delmonico said the federation would be partnering with McLaughlin to try to get him elected. What that will entail remains to be seen, but the union pounded Rybak with radio ads before the primary with seemingly minor impact. The mayor out-polled McLaughlin Sept. 13 by a margin of 44 percent to 35 percent.
Rybak responded to the event in an interview. "If you want more police, you should vote for me because I've shown how it's going to be done," he said. The mayor has pledged to add 71 officers by next summer.
He laughed off the federation endorsement. "This action today is not much more than a publicity stunt to help a falling campaign," Rybak said.
The federation endorsed Rybak over former Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton in 2001 but became disenchanted with Rybak over budget issues. When the state cut local government aid and the city faced shrinking tax collections, the police department, like all city departments, faced a tighter budget.