Minneapolis ‘violence intervention’ contracts contested by city council

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Contracts for groups meant to provide intervention services throughout Minneapolis – addressing potential violent confrontations before they escalate – became the subject of lengthy debate among the Minneapolis City Council on Thursday before ultimately being approved.

Four contracts totaling $600,000 were set to be approved by the council before members resurfaced allegations of fraud and mismanagement among city-funded groups. A proposal was then made to delay the approvals until more information could be uncovered.

"Chair Wonsley has made some serious accusations about the department that these contracts are coming out of. I have yet to hear any follow-up on what fraud has happened," said Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw on Thursday. "I’ve had a lot of contact with constituents who are concerned about us continuously funding these contracts without us knowing what’s going on. Let’s go back to the committee that these allegations were said in, and do the actual work…. You cannot make public allegations of this magnitude and not expect people to want answers."

At a previous council meeting, accusations of fraud, waste, and mismanagement were leveled against the Minneapolis Department of Neighborhood Safety.

FOX 9’s Karen Scullin spoke with Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette following the accusations on Monday.

Prior to the vote, several council members expressed concerns about whether the "violence interrupters" contracts should be approved before allegations are investigated further.

"I have concerns that I have expressed about how we are evaluating the services that are being provided. There is no consistency within how these organizations operate, how we get information back," said Council Member Andrea Jenkins on Thursday. 

Pushing back against her colleagues, Council Member Robin Wonsley said that a delay in contracts results in groups going unpaid for services they’ve already provided.

"The contracts that we’re voting for are for services already rendered, to contractors who have not been paid," Wonsley said on Thursday. "We will absolutely come back to talk about corrective issues."

According to Wonsley, the contracted groups will also receive additional support going forward.

"All of these groups that are contracted with the city will receive support by national experts on the best practices around group violence intervention. Having this support and access to particular expertise makes me feel more confident in moving forward in approving these items," Wonsley said on Thursday.