Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo Tuesday addressed the department’s morale and departures more than three weeks after the death of George Floyd set off nationwide protests.
By his official count seven officers have formally left the job since May 25.
"These men and women, both our sworn and civilian, have gone through something in the last three weeks that that we've never experienced in the 152-year history of the MPD," Arradondo said. "To say that they and their families have not experienced angst, frustration, uncertainty and stress would be a disservice to their feelings."
He did not know the service time for the seven officers and was unsure if more were in the process of separating. Plans for the 80 or so officers eligible for early retirement remain to be seen. The personnel changes, he said, will not impact public safety and there is a normal annual attrition rate of around 40 officers per year.
Arradondo said for those remaining this will "not be the same MPD they’re accustomed to."
"As we go through the days and weeks, this is going to be tough work," he said. "It's going to be very challenging work. A lot is going to be asked of them. But I will lead in a manner to make sure that I am leading in a way to take that heavy load to lift as much of that burden off their shoulders as I possibly can. But make no mistakes about it: a lot is going to be asked of them."
Arradondo said his responsibility as a leader to boost morale is done through honestY and making sure officers have access to wellness resources. He said the class of around 30 recruits he spoke with personally are sticking around, knowing the future of MPD is uncertain.
"And I asked them specifically, 'Why do you still choose to become a Minneapolis Police officer during this time, an unprecedented time during our history?' And they told me, 'Because now is the time.' Now is the time. They want to serve. They want to be a part of history."
Arradondo appears to still have support individually from protesters and activists who trust his intentions and support his efforts at reform. He says he hears the cries for changes in American policing that he agrees has to change.
"Police leadership has to be a part of those voices," he said. "We have to join in that chorus and say, "We must (change).' There are parts of the American policing system that are broken. The history bears that out. Instances bear that out. We have an opportunity now to reshape that, recreate it."
One of those changes is with recruiting and who becomes a police officer.
"Recruitment can no longer be going out to the colleges and universities and handing out fliers," he said. "It really has to be about sitting down in spaces and having uncomfortable conversations. The goal being how we can make our city safer so this policing profession can be trusted and it can be looked upon as being legitimate and being something that they helped create for the better."
Arradondo also pleaded for the public to not disrupt or harass officers. He said they reported bottles and rocks being thrown at them while administering narcan as well as police and EMS being interfered with while performing life saving measures.