Frey plans to expand Community Safety Ambassador program, cites early success
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey presented his proposed 2027 city budget this week, returning again and again to a familiar theme: “tough times call for tough decisions about which programs work for the city and which don’t.”
In line with that framing, Frey proposed “doubling down” on the city’s Community Safety Ambassador program, citing “early signs of success.”
Conversely, the mayor said, funding would drop for violence interrupters — people with deep community connections who walk the streets seeking to build relationships, alleviate tensions and connect neighbors to resources. He called the interrupter program “a noble program filled with committed and talented community leaders,” but added that it “has not demonstrated the level of results taxpayers deserve.”
The violence interrupter program is operated through three city-funded organizations, including T.O.U.C.H Outreach, led by executive director Muhammad Abdul-Ahad. The AP report characterized Frey’s compliments as “cold comfort” to Abdul-Ahad.