Community safety leaders say there will be zero tolerance for dangerous 4th of July activities this weekend

"We welcome everyone to the city of Minneapolis to celebrate the 4th of July, but we ask that you do that responsibly," Public Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette says. "We will have zero tolerance for anyone coming to the city to disrupt any celebration during this holiday weekend."

Minneapolis police will have an increased presence across the city for the holiday and into next week.

In 2025, leaders say a similar approach led to a decrease in both violence and non-emergency calls to 911 compared to prior years which have included shootings on Boom Island, and instances where revelers shot fireworks at police officers.

With Taste of Minnesota, large crowds are expected across the city. Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt says they're taking public safety concerns seriously. And they are being proactive to make sure they aren't responding to situations that are already out of hand.

"Unfortunately, they can also create opportunities for people who want to cause harm or disrupt our community," Sheriff Witt said Wednesday. "We will not allow that to happen. Our criminal intelligence division will be actively monitoring activity before and throughout the weekend, working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and address potential threats."

In Minneapolis, interim Police Chief Bill Peterson says they will certainly have an increased presence citywide.

"Including close coordination with our law enforcement partners to respond quickly to emerging trends," he adds. "I want to be clear, if you choose to engage in criminal behavior, we will respond appropriately and when necessary. We will make arrests."

A collaboration among law enforcement agencies is paying particular attention to gun violence over the weekend. In both 2022, and in 2023, celebrations ended in violence and chaos, with eight people shot on Boom Island in 2022.