Minneapolis did nothing to quell the violent riots that shook the city last month other than vote to disband the city’s police department. Given that fact, it’s no surprise that recent statistics show people are either desperately trying to get out of town or have already taken concrete steps towards moving.
A mid-June search of leading real estate website Zillow revealed that nearly 25% of all homes for sale and a whopping 43% of all apartments for rent in Minneapolis were listed after the recent, violent riots. The results are only getting worse, as a similar search from the last week of June revealed that over 28% of homes for sale in the city were listed in the previous two weeks.
To make matters worse, it’s not just local residents who are eager to get out. 7-Sigma Inc., a manufacturing plant that has been operating in the city since 1987, is ditching Minneapolis after the factory was burned down by rioters while police did nothing to protect the business’ premises. The manufacturer’s move will cost the city 50 jobs, and likely inspire others to follow suit. Truckers have already stated that they will not deliver cargo to areas that disband their police departments.
Sadly, the mass exodus of businesses and homeowners isn’t the only problem the city council faces. Reports have found that more than 1,500 buildings were damaged or destroyed in recent riots. What’s more, the police are finding it difficult to uphold the law, creating a dangerous atmosphere that would make it impossible for any person to live and work safely.
There are reports of more than 1,600 gunfire incidents in the city, and more than 100 people have been shot. Residents are claiming that police are not responding to citizen calls for help, especially in the city’s Uptown area.
The city council has nothing to worry about; it has a private security detail that costs taxpayers $4,500 a day, or more than $63,000 for the last three weeks alone. Ordinary people, on the other hand, have no-one to turn to for help except protestors, rioters, and “woke” scolds who believe that the ability to call the cops comes from “a place of privilege.”
National trends indicate that COVID-19 lockdowns throughout the nation have led many homeowners to leave large cities and buy houses in rural areas or small towns. However, the flight from Minneapolis has little to do with the novel coronavirus and everything to do with the way far-left politicians in the city are using the death of George Floyd to promote their own agenda.
Making it difficult for law enforcement officials to do their jobs while violent rioters run loose will continue to devastate the city, creating an economic wasteland as those who can flee do so.
