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Page 2 <br />Resolution 9745 <br />WHEREAS, we need to decrease the professional stigma against receiving mental and <br />physical health care in law enforcement and focus on wellness and healing from the <br />negative impacts of the profession; and <br />WHEREAS, we need to become a competitive state for attracting talented, diverse, new <br />and current peace officer applicants; and <br />WHEREAS, potential officers are likely not drawn to becoming peace officers in Minnesota <br />due to our unique and extensive educational and licensing requirements, but instead are <br />likely leaving Minnesota to pursue law enforcement careers in other states where there are <br />less requirements; and <br />WHEREAS, the Minnesota Peace Officer education requirements needs to be met with an <br />appropriate employment benefit that is equivalent to the time, effort, commitment, and <br />financial burden of obtaining a degree and achieving our licensing and hiring requirements; <br />and <br />WHEREAS, law enforcement agencies are all competing for the same depleted, nearly <br />obsolete, applicant pools of as well as current employees of other agencies; and <br />WHEREAS, the current strategies being utilized to recruit and retain police officers by <br />many agencies throughout the country are not effective and lateral officer movement from <br />one agency to another does not help solve the hiring and retention crisis in law <br />enforcement; and <br />WHEREAS, law enforcement agencies cannot compete with private sector employment <br />perks or the realities of jobs with little stress, safety, flexible schedules, and remote work; <br />and <br />WHEREAS, research has found that traditional employment incentives do not appeal to <br />many potential police officer applicants; and <br />WHEREAS, research has found that medical insurance benefits are a primary importance <br />to current potential job candidates; and <br />WHEREAS, a new, long-term, effective solution to the law enforcement hiring and retention <br />crisis is to provide state legislator funding for single and family medical and dental <br />insurance premiums for all licensed peace officers in Minnesota for the duration of their <br />careers; and <br />WHEREAS, this solution will effectively improve recruitment, retention, wellness, diversity, <br />equity, and morale in all Minnesota Law Enforcement agencies. <br />