More hurdles for Minneapolis policing

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

•••

Reflecting on his first year on the job to members of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara sounded somber yet guardedly hopeful notes about the state of crime, policing and community engagement in the city.

O'Hara told board members that although some crime statistics have improved from recent highs, there's more work to do so that the current state of public safety isn't "normalized." Although there's been progress stemming the wave of carjackings, for example, there are still too many shootings in the city, he said.

As for community involvement, O'Hara appears to be focusing on the right things. He has wisely been visible at community events and appears committed to getting to know the city and its people. He also wants MPD officers to interact with citizens in more positive ways. Those smaller acts, he believes, can help prevent some larger problems from occurring.

On a personal note, O'Hara, who came to Minneapolis from New Jersey, said he's felt welcomed as he spends time in the community — especially in north Minneapolis, where there have been higher levels of violent crime. (And where this spring, he helped chase down and apprehend juveniles who were suspected of shooting guns at a school.)

O'Hara said he changed almost the entire command staff of his direct reports — 19 of 24 positions — after hearing from the rank-and-file that they did not feel supported. He said he was brought in to shake things up and those changes were necessary to create clearer lines of responsibility and accountability.

His first year has not been without some controversy: Several complaints have been filed against him by employees within the department and are being investigated by an outside evaluator. He's also had to publicly state that he "could have been clearer" about his involvement in the hiring of an officer who used inappropriate force in a previous department. More recently, O'Hara has rightly faced hard questions about his decision to put an officer in charge of the homicide unit despite her involvement in a racist email string in 2012.

O'Hara inherited a greatly depleted department, and the MPD continues to struggle to retain and recruit officers. The department is authorized to have 888 officers, and the budget calls for 731. As of this week, the MPD had 573 sworn officers, with 28 on "continuous leave." That means only 545 are available to serve a city of over 400,000.

Operating with that number of officers is "unsustainable" because it stretches patrols too thin and results in large amounts of overtime, with cops running from call to call without putting in the appropriate amount of time on those calls. The city has made some progress, he noted, with the help of additional federal, county and local officers, but that extra assistance won't last forever.

O'Hara acknowledged that Minneapolis is known nationally and internationally for the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. While law enforcement recruiting is difficult in many cities, it's especially challenging here. Since 2020, MPD has lost more than 40% of its workforce. Some officers retired, but others left for better pay and less stress and crime in other cities.

To pick up the pace on recruiting and retaining officers, the mayor and police union last week agreed to a deal that would provide cash incentives both for new recruits and current officers who want to stay. Under the agreement, the city would pay current officers an $18,000 bonus over several years to stay with the department. New recruits would receive $15,000, paid over three years. But the smart incentives strategy looked to be in jeopardy late Tuesday after a City Council committee gave it a thumbs down.

O'Hara said every action the MPD takes going forward should be connected to three key goals: reducing the number of crime victims, earning community trust and rebuilding the department.

Those are appropriate goals. If they're met, the MPD — and its chief — will better serve Minneapolis in the future.