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Minneapolis News
Estelle Timar-Wilcox

Public safety officials gather in Minneapolis for national conference

People are seated in a conference room, facing a stage
Law enforcement officials from across the country gathered in Minneapolis on Monday for the first day of a conference marking progress in addressing violent crime. 
Estelle Timar-Wilcox | MPR News

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At a public safety conference in Minneapolis this week, law enforcement officials from across the country are marking progress in addressing violent crime. 

The conference for participants in Department of Justice safety programs opened Monday, with Minneapolis officials welcoming hundreds of participants to the city.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara took stock of this year’s crime statistics in the city. He said violent crime is still trending down from a spike in 2020-21 — but the homicide rate is up from last year.

O’Hara said the department has so far logged one more homicide in 2024, than the total for all of 2023.

“We’ve obviously had a number of challenges this year. There are places in the city that have been spiking and have experienced more violence than they have in the past,” O’Hara said. 

He said the increase in homicides is driven by increased violence on the city’s south side.

At the same time, O’Hara said the overall number of shootings and shooting victims is down so far this year. He said that’s partly thanks to the city’s work with the federal Public Safety Partnership. 

Through the program, Minneapolis gets expert help addressing gun violence and conducting crime analysis. The city joined the program in 2023, and O’Hara said the Minneapolis Police Department is continuing to look for other help the program can offer as the city combats violent crime.

Mayor Jacob Frey said in a speech to conference attendees that those partnerships are helpful.

“I’ve seen firsthand that it’s got to be a team effort,” Frey said. “Here in Minneapolis, that team has helped to drive down crime. That team has helped to enhance police-community relationships.”

The Public Safety Partnership summit ends on Wednesday.