NEW ULM — Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan visited New Ulm on their statewide public safety tour Tuesday to discuss the public safety budget.

Walz and Flanagan held a special roundtable discussion with leaders from both the Mankato and New Ulm communities to hear local options for public safety.

The public safety budget would include $300 million for cities, counties and tribes across Minnesota. New Ulm and Mankato would receive $242,000 and $763,000 annually for three years if the budget was approved.

Walz and Flanagan believed local input was needed to determine how best to use the funds.

“It’s fascinating to see the difference in how you’re all approaching it,” Walz said of the community public safety initiatives. “I think that’s why we really need to advocate this legislative session to have as much fungibility around this for our communities.”

“The best experts on the needs of a community are the community members themselves,” said Flanagan. “Whether it’s investing in local law enforcement and first responders, providing for community-based public safety initiatives, or ensuring that everyone has the resources they need to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, our budget empowers communities to take the lead with state support to create safer communities for every Minnesotan.”

A primary issue expressed by New Ulm and Mankato officials was a lack of mental health beds. Mankato Public Safety Director Amy Vokal said mental health beds were an absolute need. Currently, people are being shipped to wherever beds are available, and that sometimes means out of state.

New Ulm Police Chief Dave Borchert confirmed mental health emergencies account for a large portion of local calls to 911, estimating between 35% and 40% of calls were for mental health.

Borchert expressed a need for funding for an unmarked vehicle to transport crime victims. He said the normal squad car can make victims feel like they have committed a crime. Other suggestions include funding for body cameras and radios.

The extra funding for public safety was in response to an increase in Minnesota crime, but Walz believed the state could halt the rise.

“All of these upticks in crime can go down quickly if the communities are given the right tools to tackle them,” Walz said.

The budget also invests in recruiting peace officers who represent the population of our state. The budget also funds several grant programs to invest in the changing needs of communities, providing funding for Minnesota’s community-based crime prevention grants that fund such programs as probation, youth services, truancy programs, elder abuse prevention, neighborhood watch, resident engagement, and other community-driven intervention and prevention strategies.