Updated: April 28, 2022

The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, led to protests around the world. It also sparked a nationwide movement calling for changes in policing and public safety.

Minneapolis is being transformed by what has taken place. More voices are being included in our city’s plan for an equitable society, many new public/private alliances are being formed, and the world is watching as we reimagine the future of public safety.

Does Minneapolis have a police department?

Yes, Minneapolis has a police department. The 2022 city budget includes nearly $192 million for the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). The budget also includes $7.8 million for the Office of Violence Prevention, as well as nearly $7 million through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Other city funds are used for a wide range of additional public safety measures.

What changes or enhancements have been made to public safety in Minneapolis?

In the last two years, enhanced funding has been allocated to the Office of Violence Prevention for different public safety programs, departments and initiatives, such as:

• Mental Health Co-Responder Program
• Community Group Outreach and Intervention
• Gang Violence Intervention
• Hospital Based Intervention
• 911 Training on assessing and responding to mental health issues and situations
• De-escalation and restorative justice training
• Moving all parking related calls to Traffic Control
• Assigning non-police staff to respond to theft and property damage calls

The 2022 city budget increased funding to several public safety initiatives, including the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). The budget includes nearly $192 million for the MPD, $7.8 million for the Office of Violence Prevention, $500,000 for youth-specific proactive violence prevention, and more than $100,000 to hire a body-worn-camera analyst, as well as funding to contract with mutual aid agencies, provide overtime to work with violence prevention teams, increase health and wellness programs, and purchase an early intervention program to flag problematic behavior among officers. The budget also calls for adding five (5) recruit and cadet classes for the MPD.

In April 2022, Mayor Frey outlined his proposal for spending $43 million in remaining ARPA funding, including nearly $6.5 million for community safety initiatives. That includes an additional $1 million in funding for MinneapolUS teams, whose members walk city streets in hopes of connecting people with services and mediating conflicts before they escalate into violence. The plan also includes $2.4 million aimed at improving camera systems and lighting systems, including along Broadway Avenue and Lake Street. The Minneapolis City Council will review the proposal with possible approval coming by the end of May.

Have any policing changes taken place?

Yes, changes implemented by the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) in the last two years include:

• Banning neck restraints or choke holds for any reason.
• Requiring MPD officers to use the lowest level of force needed to safely engage a subject and to first consider all reasonable alternatives before using deadly force.
• Requiring any member of the MPD who observes another member of the MPD use any prohibited force, or inappropriate or unreasonable force to attempt to safely intervene by verbal and physical means.
• Requiring any member of the MPD who observes another member of the MPD use any unauthorized use of force to immediately report the incident while still on scene to their commander or their commander’s superiors.
• Requiring the police chief to make timely discipline decisions.
• Allowing only the police chief or the chief’s designee at the rank of deputy chief or above to authorize the use of crowd control weapons during protests and demonstrations.
• Not allowing officers involved in critical incidents – including the use of deadly force – to review body camera footage prior to completing an initial police report.
• Prohibiting the application for, and execution of, all no-knock (unannounced) search warrants.
• Requiring officers to repeatedly knock and announce their presence and purpose prior to entry with a minimum wait time of 20 seconds for all warrants and 30 seconds for warrants executed during nighttime hours (8 p.m. until 7 a.m.).
• Not allowing officers to deactivate their body camera to discuss issues privately on scene while an event is still in progress.
• Ceasing pretextual stops for offenses like expired tabs, an item dangling from a mirror or inoperable license plate lights.
• Banning "warrior style" training for officers both on and off duty.
• Requiring all MPD personnel, sworn and civilian, to have ongoing procedural justice and implicit bias training.
• Utilizing a new field training officer (FTO) coordinator to manage the transformation of substantial changes to the structure of the FTO program, including centralized oversight, increased and ongoing discipline review for FTOs, and new on-the-job monitoring technology to track the daily performance of officers in training and the types of calls responded to, and electronically store and track tasks completed.

What was the result of the state's investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department?

On April 27, 2022, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released its findings from a nearly two-year investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department - a probe launched days after the murder of George Floyd. The investigation found that the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department engage in a pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. To read the full report, go here.

What are the next steps following the findings of the state's investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department?

Moving forward, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights will work with the City of Minneapolis to develop a consent decree, which is a court-enforceable agreement that identifies specific changes to be made and timelines for those changes to occur. As part of this process, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights will meet with community members, Minneapolis Police Department officers, City staff, and other stakeholders to gather feedback on what should be included in a consent decree to address racial discrimination in policing in Minneapolis.

In 2020, I saw images of destruction and damaged buildings in Minneapolis. How might that affect visitors and/or meeting and convention attendees?

Most of the damage that occurred in Minneapolis in the summer of 2020 took place three miles away from the Minneapolis Convention Center and the city’s downtown core. The two neighborhoods impacted the most saw hundreds of volunteers immediately step in to help clean up and businesses are rebuilding.

As a meeting planner, if I hold my event at the Minneapolis Convention Center, what are my security options?

The Minneapolis Convention Center has an in-house security team with its command center located prominently on the main level. If an event requires additional security, the Guest Services team works with the client to review the level of security needs and determines an appropriate source.

For more information on MCC Guest Services and Security Operations and how the venue is keeping safety and security top of mind for every client and visitor, please go here.

Will I be safe when I’m in Minneapolis?

Local law enforcement works hard to ensure the safety and well-being of residents, workers and visitors to Minneapolis. In addition, MPD, Metro Transit Police and the Hennepin County Sherriff’s Department work together, as needed, with a common goal of keeping our city safe. Plus, community and business leaders throughout the city work together on multiple initiatives to help ensure a safe environment for visitors and residents. This includes easily identifiable Downtown Improvement District (DID) Ambassadors who help visitors with directions and information, providing roughly 89,000 pedestrian assists each year. Additionally, Minneapolis downtown partners are connected to a Safety Communications Center which is located in the Minneapolis Police Department’s First Precinct and focuses on rapid responses for inquiries or incidents when needed.

For safety concerns, who can I contact?

If someone’s safety is at risk and an immediate response from police, fire or medics is required, call 911. The city also provides services via 311 for non-emergency information. You can call, text, email (minneapolis311@minneapolismn.gov) or download the 311 smartphone app.