By Susan Du. Minneapolis' Office of Community Safety will re-open the bidding process for services to fight sex trafficking following criticism from local anti-trafficking groups. The city had chosen the group Our Rescue to train police at the new city-owned South Minneapolis Community Safety Center set to open next year, according to Our Rescue and local groups. Our Rescue is in the process of moving its headquarters from Salt Lake City to Minneapolis as it attempts to re-establish itself following backlash over the actions of its founder , Tim Ballard, who was accused by multiple women of sexual abuse.
City Council members then asked the administration to explain what has been happening behind the scenes with the contracting process, and the Minneapolis Office of Community Safety announced Thursday that it would re-solicit the contract. Late last year, the city asked anti-sex trafficking service providers to apply for the chance to work out of the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center alongside police. It was a no-cost opportunity, meaning the city did not plan to provide any funding for the services.
A local collaborative of service providers, including the Link, Cornerstone and the Family Partnership, said city staff informed them their application had scored the highest. The groups agreed to provide the city with both police training and victim services. Later, city staff called back and said Our Rescue could receive the police training aspect of the contract instead, according to the collaborative.
Office of Community Safety spokesperson Brian Feintech said this week the city was reopening its request for proposals in order to offer funding this time. However, he assured that the amount β including the value of office space allotted in the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center β will meet a threshold requiring City Council approval before any contract is awarded.
The scope of the new RFP will be expanded to cover both labor and sex trafficking, Feintech said. Council Member Emily Koski, who is running for mayor, said at a news conference on Friday morning that she was not aware Our Rescue was being considered for a place in the facility until the Minnesota Star Tribune reported it this week. Palmisano emphasized that Our Rescue had enough money to give grants to other organizations and pay their own way while providing services to the city.
