‘Squad’ member Omar faces tough questions about rising crime back home in Minneapolis

Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar has ignored questions about the rising crime in Minneapolis, even as residents are calling for more police officers to deal with the crisis.

Violent crime is surging in Minneapolis, according to local news reports.

A Star Tribune analysis found that "violent crime rates have been rising in the last couple of years in more than a dozen suburbs."

In a separate article, the Star Tribune reported that "downtown Minneapolis residents want to hire police to curb crime" in their neighborhoods.

In 2021, homicides downtown were about double the average from 2015-2019 and the amount of aggravated assaults rose to 454 from an average of 351 before the coronavirus pandemic. 

Omar, whose district covers parts of Minneapolis, was asked for her response to the surge in violent crime and if she wants to see the police budget increased. Omar did not respond.

Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020, Omar had called for the Minneapolis Police Department to be dismantled.

"The Minneapolis Police Department has proven themselves beyond reform. It’s time to disband them and reimagine public safety in Minneapolis," Omar wrote on Twitter in June 2020.