Minneapolis Police Department

Minneapolis Police Department
Shoulder patch
Shoulder patch
Police shield
Police shield
AbbreviationMPD
Agency overview
Formed1867
Preceding agency
  • Municipal Police
Employees926
Annual budget$193 million (2020)[1]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionMinneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Map of Minneapolis Police Department's jurisdiction
Size58.4 square miles (151 km2)
Population429,607 (2019)
Governing bodyMinneapolis Mayor's Office
General nature
Operational structure
Overseen by Civilian BoardMinneapolis Civilian Police Review Authority Board
HeadquartersDowntown Minneapolis City Hall
Police officers571 police officers[2]
Civilian employees300 civilian employees
Agency executive
Units
List
  • Bomb-Arson
  • Business Technology
  • Canine
  • Community Crime Prevention / Safety For Everyone (CCP/SAFE)
  • Homeland Security
  • Internal Affairs
  • Investigations
  • Minneapolis Police Reserve
  • Mounted Patrol
  • Police Activities League (PAL)
  • Special Events/Reserve
  • Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT)
  • Strategic Operations Unit
  • Traffic Enforcement and Accident Investigation
  • Traffic Control
  • Training
Precincts
List
  • 1st Precinct
  • 2nd Precinct
  • 3rd Precinct
  • 4th Precinct
  • 5th Precinct
Facilities
Stations, Substations, and Safety Centers9 (1 destroyed)
HelicoptersAvailable from the Minnesota State Patrol[3]
Website
Minneapolis Police

The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is the primary law enforcement agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It is also the largest police department in Minnesota. Formed in 1867, it is the second-oldest police department in Minnesota, after the Saint Paul Police Department that formed in 1854. A short-lived Board of Police Commissioners existed from 1887 to 1890.

The department is organized into four bureaus all reporting to the Assistant Chief of Police, who in turn reports to the Chief. The city is divided into five precincts[4] with 800 sworn officers and 300 civilian employees.[5] As of May 29, 2020, the department's 3rd precinct station was destroyed. At the city's population peak, the MPD served over 521,000 people, and today serves over 430,000 people as of the last census estimate.

MPD answers about four hundred thousand calls a year and does fifty thousand proactive stops a year. In comparison, Hennepin Emergency Medical Services answers 60,000 calls a year.[6][7][8] Also operating in the city are the University of Minnesota Police Department, Minneapolis Park Police Department, Metro Transit Police, and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. The Metropolitan Airports Commission Police serves the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in unincorporated Hennepin County.

After an incident in May 2020, MPD officer Derek Chauvin was charged with and later convicted for murder of George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for approximately 9.5 minutes. The murder sparked worldwide protests against racism and police brutality, bringing considerable attention to the MPD.[9] The MPD has explicitly refused offers for intervention training which could have prevented civilian loss of life.[10] Bob Kroll, head of the MPD union, characterized Floyd as a "violent criminal" and called the protests a "terrorist movement".[11] In June 2020, President Lisa Bender of the Minneapolis City Council stated that the city should dismantle the MPD and replace it with a "transformative new model of public safety".[12] Plans to disband the department were announced days later, with support from a veto-proof majority on the City Council. However, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was opposed to such action.[13][14][15][16] It was soon acknowledged that the city charter prevented the City Council from enacting such plans, which would have to be approved either with joint support from the mayor or by amending the city charter in a public vote.[17] The charter also prevents the MPD from being defunded.[18]

A proposed city charter amendment was passed by the Minneapolis City Council, which, if approved by voters, would replace the MPD with a Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention, with a provision that would allow but not require a division of "licensed peace officers".[19] However, the Minneapolis City Charter Commission later cancelled plans to put the proposed city charter amendment on the November 2020 ballot, after an increase in crimes throughout the city.[20][21][22] A similar measure which appeared on the November 2021 ballot was defeated.[23]

On June 16, 2023, the United States Department of Justice released a report summarizing a comprehensive investigation into the MPD, finding that "the Minneapolis Police Department and the City of Minneapolis engage in a pattern or practice of conduct in violation of the U.S. Constitution and federal law," specifically with regard to the use of deadly force, racial discrimination, violations of free speech rights, and discrimination against people with behavioral health disabilities.[24]

  1. ^ Sullivan, Carl; Baranauckas, Carla (June 26, 2020). "Here's how much money goes to police departments in largest cities across the U.S." USA Today. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020.
  2. ^ "Policing & Community Safety Initiatives".
  3. ^ "6-100 Mutual Aid and Other Agency Relationships". www.minneapolismn.gov. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. ^ "Police Precincts & Neighborhoods". ci.minneapolis.mn.us. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  5. ^ "Inside the Minneapolis Police Department". City of Minneapolis. Archived from the original on December 24, 2007. Retrieved December 25, 2007.
  6. ^ "Hennepin EMS – Emergency Medical Services". Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  7. ^ "911 Home Page". www.minneapolismn.gov. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  8. ^ "Data Dashboard". Minneapolis Police. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  9. ^ Scheiber, Noam; Stockman, Farah; Goodman, J. David (June 6, 2020). "How Police Unions Became Such Powerful Opponents to Reform Efforts". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  10. ^ Carroll, Logan (July 2, 2020). "Former Minneapolis cop says MPD rejected his intervention training offers twice - Minnesota Reformer". Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  11. ^ Grim, Ryan; Chávez, Aída (June 2, 2020). "Minneapolis Police Union President: "I've Been Involved in Three Shootings Myself, and Not a One of Them Has Bothered Me"". The Intercept. Archived from the original on June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020. I've been involved in three shootings myself, and not one of them has bothered me.
  12. ^ "Minneapolis City Council to vote Friday on first changes to police". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  13. ^ Uria, Daniel (June 6, 2020). "Minneapolis City Council Majority Announces Plan to Disband Police Department". United Press International. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  14. ^ "MPLS. Council members support dismantling MPD". June 7, 2020. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  15. ^ "Minneapolis mayor remains opposed to defunding police department". June 8, 2020. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  16. ^ "ACLU of Minnesota on Twitter: "BREAKING: Minneapolis City Council members have announced their intent to disband the Minneapolis Police Department and invest in community-led public safety."". Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference citycharter was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ "MPLS. Council plans to put MPD changes before voters". June 12, 2020. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  19. ^ Navratil, Liz (June 26, 2020). "Push to 'end' Minneapolis Police Department could keep officers". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on September 7, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  20. ^ "Commission stalls on amendment to dismantle Minneapolis Police Department, keeping it off the ballot in November". CBS News. Associated Press. August 5, 2020. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  21. ^ Scullin, Karen; Olson, Rob (August 5, 2020). "Minneapolis Charter Commission delays vote on removing police department, keeping it off November ballot". Fox 9 News. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  22. ^ Navratil, Liz; Otárola, Miguel (August 5, 2020). "Minneapolis Charter Commission blocks controversial controversial police proposal from November ballot". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  23. ^ "'Tonight Should Send A Message': Reactions After Minneapolis Ballot Question On Policing Fails". WCCO. November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  24. ^ "Justice Department Finds Civil Rights Violations by the Minneapolis Police Department and the City of Minneapolis". June 16, 2023. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2023.