Minneapolis city officials are announcing progress in their police recruiting with ranks surpassing 600 sworn officers for the first time since February of 2023.
Police Chief Brian O'Hara says its a clear sign their recruiting efforts are working, with Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette saying they're not just hiring more officers, they're hiring the "right officers."
"Lasting police reform requires strong leaders who embrace change, support our residents, and face adversity head on," Mayor Jacob Frey said in a social media post. "At this week’s MPD promotion ceremony, an inspiring group of individuals stepped up to lead the change that they want to see. Thank you for being part of our team!"
The department has been operating with a fraction of its normal number of officers since the 2020 murder of George Floyd and the riots that followed.
The Minneapolis City Charter requires a minimum of 731 sworn police officers - a number they had been significantly below, scrambling to add to the ranks.
This staffing shortfall has led to legal action and a court order requiring the city to hire more officers but O'Hara has said a number of resignations and retirements have cut into any gains they've been making.
In 2024, Minneapolis launched a $1 million campaign called “Imagine Yourself” which targeted younger people and those living within 300 miles of Minneapolis. It includes a recruitment video and job information all posted on one-central website. O'Hara said at the time it was making a difference and helped to stymy a mass exodus of officers up for retirement.
“We have seen very positive signs in recruiting, even before this campaign started,” O’Hara said. “There’s a lot of work being done by our officers. We have a lieutenant that’s over-recruiting and he’s brought in a lot of other police officers to try and bring more folks in the door.”
Minneapolis is also in the midst of police reform following Floyd's murder by former officer Derek Chauvin. Despite President Donald Trump's new Justice Department dismissing a federal consent decree with the city, Minneapolis is planning to move ahead with the protocols laid out in that agreement - and Mayor Frey signing an executive order this week to push the city forward with that agreement. There's also an existing agreement for police reforms with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.