Minneapolis OKs application for $300K DOJ ballistics grant
The Minneapolis City Council voted 7-5 to approve the Minneapolis Police Department's request to apply for a $300,000 U.S. Department of Justice grant to upgrade NIBIN ballistic technology.[1]
Council Member Jason Chavez warned the grant could tie the city to federal immigration enforcement.[1] Assistant City Attorney Amy Schutt said the grant's terms do not require cooperation with ICE or violate the city's separation ordinance.[1] Council Members Soren Stevenson and Aisha Chughtai argued the department should pay the $300,000 itself.[1] Council Members Jamal Osman and Pearll Warren said the upgrade would help the city process ballistic evidence and deliver justice in gun cases.[1]
NIBIN, the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, lets investigators match shell casings across scenes to link shootings. The council's 7-5 split reflected lawmakers weighing public-safety needs against concerns about federal entanglement and city spending priorities.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- The Minneapolis City Council voted 7–5 to approve MPD’s request to apply for a $300,000 DOJ grant to upgrade NIBIN ballistic technology.
- Council Member Jason Chavez raised concerns that accepting the grant could tie Minneapolis to federal immigration enforcement, but Assistant City Attorney Amy Schutt said the terms do not require ICE cooperation or violation of the separation ordinance.
- Council Members Soren Stevenson and Aisha Chughtai argued MPD should self-fund the $300,000 upgrade, while Jamal Osman and Pearll Warren backed the grant as a way to better process ballistic evidence and deliver justice in gun cases.
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