Minneapolis Business leaving

First of many to follow? 

After 33 years in Minneapolis, Kris Wyrobek thought he could rely on the city to protect his manufacturing business. In the wake of the city’s paralysis in the rioting — which the Star Tribune helpfully notes “sometimes overshadowed peaceful protests” — Wyrobek has had enough. He’s packing up his 7-Sigma plant to rebuild elsewhere after the city let it burn down, and he’s taking 50 jobs with him:

“They don’t care about my business,” said Kris Wyrobek, president and owner of 7-Sigma Inc., which has operated since 1987 at 2843 26th Av. in south Minneapolis. “They didn’t protect our people. We were all on our own.”

Some may shrug at Wyrobek’s declaration and say that it’s just 50 jobs, but Wyrobek isn’t likely to be alone. He just has the distinction of being the first to go public with his decision to leave, and the reasons for doing so. How many business owners in Minneapolis might decide that the risk of a repeat is just too high, and that the track record of city leadership represents a bad risk?  

 For that matter, some businesses might not have the ability to reopen in place even if rebuilt. Insurance losses in the riots will go over $500 million, and customers in Minneapolis will have higher rates as a result of the suddenly-exposed risk of doing business in the city. For some businesses, that might be too much of a hurdle for reinvesting in the city.

The unintended consequences are staggering. Not only in the face of the recent destruction, but also with the potential of either a watered down or completely defunded police force in Minneapolis. One has to wonder how far this sort of commercial unrest would go? Will people want to head downtown, park their car in ramp, and have dinner and catch a show, if there is no police force to protect their car or their person? Will performers even want to come to Minneapolis and perform, if they cannot count on the security that local police often provide? Will our professional sports leagues want to continue to host games in large gatherings of stadiums, with no local police force to assist with security?

So what exactly happens if they have no police department? Well technically all law enforcement matters would fall to the Hennepin County Sheriff's department, which I am guessing has the man power to assist in about one percent of what would be needed. Of course, to listen to these City Counsel members, a vast majority of criminal activity simply doesn't warrant the police to get involved anyways, as petty crimes and other minor criminal activities are little more than an excuse for the police to hassle and pick on people of color. Amazing how low our standards have become when it's being determined that only "some" crimes are worthy of police attention.