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Monday night, the Brooklyn Park City Council confirmed the results of a special election in which Council Member Lisa Jacobson edged out DFL-endorsed candidate Hollies Winston by just two votes to become the city’s new mayor. Jacobson will be sworn in next Monday.

Given her narrow margin of victory, Mayor-elect Jacobson told host Cathy Wurzer that one of the first things she plans to do as mayor is “reach out to those that did not support me” and “get them involved.”

The election was a “great example to everyone that every vote mattered,” especially at the local level, Jacobson said.

One of Jacobson’s most urgent concerns will be addressing a recent rise in gun violence in Brooklyn Park, including an incident last week in which a 

 while sitting in his car outside a grocery store.

Jacobson is focused on taking action to reduce gang violence in the Twin Cities suburb: “We have to look at the leading indicators, the root cause of gang violence, and we need to, as a community, step up and do something about it.”

Youth programming and mentorship are key to Jacobson’s vision for curbing gang violence. Sometimes, when young people face difficult situations with little adult guidance, “it takes another adult to invest in a kid,” she said.

Jacobson sees an appetite for action in Brooklyn Park. 

“We have a lot of people in this community who say to me all the time, ‘What can I do?’ … They want to make a difference,” she said.

, a new nonprofit that plans to patrol crime hotspots as part of its mission to fight gun violence. 

“We know that our police department cannot handle this alone,” she said.

When asked if she plans to add more officers to the Brooklyn Park Police Department, Jacobson said that there’s room in the department’s current budget to hire more officers and that the department is actively working to fill open positions.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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Monday night, Brooklyn Park City Council Member Lisa Jacobson won the city’s special mayoral election by just two votes. The new Mayor-elect spoke with host Cathy Wurzer about how she plans to curb a recent rise in gun violence in the Twin Cities suburb.

Brooklyn Park Mayor-elect on gun violence, narrow margin of victory

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