There are currently fewer than 300 Minneapolis police officers available to respond to 911 calls. That's a number that is frightening to the Minneapolis Police Department who say they can't keep up.
"It's bad," says Police Officer's Federation of Minneapolis President Sherral Schmdit. "It's unsafe for the citizens but it's unsafe for us, the cops, as well."
Schmidt, in an interview with WCCO's Susie Jones, says she is frustrated and fearful about the future of the force with such low numbers, and what appears to be an unwillingness on the part of the Minneapolis City Council to help.
Last Friday, the council voted down a plan to spend $15 million in state-provided money to recruit and retain officers. The state money was set aside to help fund public safety and comes from the $18 billion budget surplus. Similar money has already been set aside for police, fire and neighborhood safety in St. Paul, who received $13.6 million from the state.
Schmidt says many of the rank and file watched the proceedings on Friday.
"They're pretty frustrated with that, and they have zero confidence that the city will settle any contract with them," according to Schmidt, who adds she shares the lack of confidence in city leaders going forward, questioning who is really "running the show" in Minneapolis.
In the meantime, with a shortage of Minneapolis Police Officers making it impossible to keep up with calls and criminal activity, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt is weighing in, saying they have to "pick up the slack".
"The sheriff's department is also dealing with a depleted staff, and some of the pay disparity issues Minneapolis is having," said Witt. "Chief (Brian) O'Hara was right in talking about some of the things the men and women in this city have to endure."
O'Hara, speaking in the council meeting Friday, said the situation is dire.
"This is not about the cops," said a clearly agitated O'Hara. "This is about the residents. We have been collapsing units into each other. We're talking about what else are we not going to be able to do next year."
Witt, who spoke to WCCO's Taylor Rivera, says it goes far beyond Minneapolis though. Departments statewide need more resources.
"People want to be safe," says Witt. "We need the resources to do our jobs and do our jobs effectively. The MPD, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, and every other agency that is short. We need to do a better job of backing up our police professionals to ensure that we do have good people coming in to do this work."
The short-staffed Minneapolis Police Department has officers working longer hours that have created even more departures from the force. That keeps staffing levels falling even further from the City Charter's required 731 officers in the city. Chief O'Hara has been sounding the alarm that officers are burned out, and leaving for police jobs with less hours and less stress.
Witt says without resources, recruitment will be difficult. The $15 million deal voted down by the council was aimed at recruitment.
"They should be supported in the way that would help them recruit good people that would do that work," says the sheriff. "Because that's a choice that no chief or sheriff would want to make. If you don't have the people to do what you need to be doing how do you have a positive outcome?"
Outlined in the letter of agreement, eligible employees in the bargaining unit will receive incentives over the next three years. Existing employees will receive $18,000 over three years and new hires will receive $15,000 over three years, according to a specific payment schedule.
With the agreed upon deal between the city and the union now off the table following the City Council's rejection, it's back to the negotiating table. Schmidt says they had been working with Mayor Jacob Frey and Chief Brian O'Hara for some time on the deal.
"So, we come to this agreement, only to have it voted down," said Schmidt. "It's pretty disappointing, and it makes me really question if we do agree on terms of a contract, are they just going to vote it down?"
The City Council voted 7-5 against the $15 million recruitment and retainment proposal, which is just a part of the entire police union contract that needs to be finalized. Mayor Frey and Chief O'Hara had hoped to pass that portion ahead of the rest of the contract to start implementing changes immediately.
City council members who voted down the proposal say the were not convinced the millions earmarked would serve its purpose to retain and recruit new officers. They also chared the mayor and police chief of politicizing the issue of public safety to, in the words of one council member, "scare us."
"It is factual, it is not an opinion, to say that retention and recruitment bonuses do not work," said Council Member Aisha Chugtai said Friday.
Minneapolis Police Officers are currently working without a contract and the next bargaining session is set for December 4.