Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey says the city is in the middle of a major recruiting effort to build back up the number of police officers in the MPD.
Getting new recruits in uniform and onto the streets won't be immediate.
"Can you bring these officers in like you're buying them off Amazon? No, you can't," said Frey, appearing on the WCCO Morning News with Mike Max.
Until it can happen, outside agencies have been helping the MPD
"Right now, we have fewer police on a per capita basis than almost any major city in the country," he said, noting that many are asked to work overtime hours.
Frey said overworked police officers are more likely to make mistakes on the job, and more likely to use force.
"Overtime should not be a first resort, or a solution," said Frey.
While searching for recruits, city leaders are looking for a diverse group of people who have strong ties to Minneapolis, as well as community-minded.
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And also, to expect things to change.
"Individuals entering the police department right now must recognize the need for procedural justice, for implicit bias training," Frey said. "They recognize this can't be the police department of the 1990's, or even 6, 7, 8 years ago. These are people that recognize the need for change right now."