Overview
- A Hennepin County judge issued an alternative writ of mandamus on Thursday requiring Mayor Jacob Frey to bring Minneapolis to the charter minimum of 731 sworn officers by Jan. 4, 2027 or appear at a trial to explain noncompliance.
- The Minneapolis City Charter sets the minimum at 1.7 officers per 1,000 residents, which equals 731 sworn officers, and a writ of mandamus is a court order that compels a public official to perform that non‑discretionary duty.
- City officials report roughly 638 sworn officers on the force plus about 30 recruits in the police academy, and recruits do not count as sworn officers until they are certified.
- The city says it has hired more than 150 officers since early 2025 and boosted recruitment with about $2 million in outreach and a large rise in applications, but the recent resignation of Police Chief Brian O’Hara is a potential complication for retention and morale.
- The enforcement push was launched by the Upper Midwest Law Center, which cited a 2022 Minnesota Supreme Court finding; the court scheduled additional review dates if the city remains out of compliance, including an August hearing and a spring 2027 trial to consider contempt or other sanctions.