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Panel backs making Philando Castile training fund ongoing; witnesses say small agencies rely on it
Summary
Representatives heard from sheriffs and chiefs urging permanent funding for the Philando Castile Memorial Training Fund (House File 12 56) to cover mandatory training, especially for small and rural agencies. The committee laid the bill over for omnibus consideration.
Representative Novotny and Vice Chair Witte presented House File 12 56 to make permanent the Philando Castile Memorial Training Fund, which supplies annual funding for officer training established in response to reforms enacted in 2021.
Sheriff Gordon Ramsay, representing the Minnesota Sheriffs Association, described the fund as a cost-effective investment that helps counties provide de-escalation, crisis-response and community-policing training. "Training to develop de-escalation skills, tactics that use best community policing, and sound decision making under pressure... are lifesaving tools that reduce the likelihood of force being used," Ramsay told the committee.
Mitch Johnsrud, chief of police of Starbuck and a representative of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, said many small agencies rely on the fund to meet mandatory training requirements; more than half of Minnesota agencies have fewer than 10 officers and would struggle to pay for required courses without state assistance.
Members thanked testifiers and said they will continue discussion on long-term permanent funding. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the committee omnibus; no final appropriation was approved today.
