Overview
- A Hennepin County judge issued an alternative writ on Thursday directing Mayor Jacob Frey to show the Minneapolis Police Department meets the charter minimum of 0.0017 officers per resident by Jan. 4, 2027.
- The staffing target equals 731 sworn officers based on the city’s population and the charter requirement, a duty the Minnesota Supreme Court previously recognized in 2022.
- City officials say recruitment has added more than 150 officers since early 2025 and report about 638 sworn officers plus roughly 30 recruits in the academy, leaving the department short of the 731 mark.
- The petition was filed by the Upper Midwest Law Center on behalf of Minneapolis residents, who argue the court must enforce the charter and that continued shortfalls justify court-ordered remedies.
- The court scheduled an interim hearing in August and set an April 2027 trial if the city remains out of compliance, a path that could produce fines, contempt findings, or other enforcement steps and raise political pressure on city leaders.