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Minneapolis News
MPR News Staff

Minneapolis officials say police force numbers are starting to rebound

Two police officers walk in a room
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara exits the city council chambers after the council voted 8–4 in favor of the new police contract on July 18.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

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After several years of declining numbers, Minneapolis city officials say the size of the police force is showing signs of growth.

Citing a report from the city’s human resources department, they say the city is on track to end the year with a larger police force than it had last year. Police chief Brian O’Hara says it will be the first time since 2020 that the department will see an increase in sworn officers.

“I’m also pleased about who is applying,” said O’Hara in a statement. “We have several applicants with relatives who are current MPD officers. A few years ago, family members were discouraging their loved ones from coming here. To me, that’s real progress.”

The department’s numbers have dropped significantly since the unrest following the police killing of George Floyd. Officers began filing workers’ compensation claims by the dozens and many also retired or left the force for other reasons. There were more than 800 sworn officers at the beginning of 2020. City officials say that number is currently 570.  If that number stands at the end of the year, it will represent a slight increase in the number of officers on the force compared to the end of 2023.

The number of job applications has increased significantly. City officials say there were nearly 700 job applications submitted to MPD last year. So far in 2024, more than 1,000 people have applied.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says the city’s recruitment efforts are paying off. “We set a plan to recruit more police officers and that plan is working,” he said.

City officials say the newly adopted police union contract offers big incentives for new hires. It increases officer salaries by 21.7 percent over the next three years, which means a recruit at the department’s academy would earn about $85,000 a year by the third year of their contract.