Minneapolis police Chief Brian O'Hara told the outlet that it was 'not sustainable'.
The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is suffering from historically low staffing shortages as they deal with the lowest level of uniformed personnel in four decades, according to the Star Tribune.The city's department has just 585 sworn officers and out of 22 cities, it has the lowest ratio of officers to population, the Tribune reported.
The Minneapolis police department has also leaned on other law enforcement partners as well as civilian analysts to help out with some of their work. Over the past few years, Minneapolis has experienced the worst of the police staffing shortages in the U.S.
"This is absolutely not sustainable," Minneapolis police Chief Brian O'Hara told the outlet. "Thank God for all these other agencies that are filling this gap."
The MPD also is too low on officers to restart their "community engagement unit," which is seen as a way to build trust between the police and the community.
"It's unfortunate, but that's the stuff that goes away first," O'Hara told the outlet. "We're never going to change people's perception of us - and we're never going to establish meaningful relationships with people - if the only thing we're doing is responding from emergency to emergency to emergency."
On some days, just four officers are responsible to patrol large areas of the city, the Tribune reported.
Minneapolis voters rejected a measure in 2021 that would have replaced the MPD with a Department of Public Safety, which was put to a vote following the 2020 death of George Floyd.
The Department of Justice announced in June that an investigation into the police department, following Floyd's death, found evidence of the use of excessive force and racial discrimination.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said at the time that there was "reasonable cause to believe that the MPD and the city of Minneapolis engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the First and Fourth Amendments of the United States Constitution."
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themes: Minnesota
Minneapolis police suffer from historically low staffing shortages: ‘Not sustainable'
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Minneapolis Police Struggle with Unsustainable Staffing Shortages
The Minneapolis Police Department is currently facing a severe staffing shortage, the lowest level of uniformed personnel in four decades, according to a report from the Star Tribune. With only 585 sworn officers, the city's police department has the lowest ratio of officers to population among 22 cities surveyed.
To cope with the lack of personnel, the Minneapolis Police Department has been relying on assistance from other law enforcement agencies and civilian analysts. This partnership has helped alleviate some of the workload, but it is still far from a sustainable solution. Minneapolis has been hit the hardest by police staffing shortages in the United States in recent years.
..... However, the shortage has forced the MPD to abandon initiatives like the "community engagement unit," which aimed to build trust between the police and the community. .....
The staffing shortage has also put a strain on the resources needed to patrol the city. On certain days, just four officers are responsible for covering large areas of Minneapolis, leaving them stretched thin and unable to provide adequate coverage.
This comes following a pivotal moment in Minneapolis' history, as voters rejected a measure in 2021 that aimed to replace the MPD with a Department of Public Safety. The proposal came in the wake of George Floyd's death in 2020, which sparked widespread protests against police brutality and racial injustice. The Department of Justice launched an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department, finding evidence of excessive force and racial discrimination.
..... The investigation further highlighted the urgent need for reform within the MPD.
As the Minneapolis Police Department continues to grapple with these challenges, the consequences of the staffing shortage are felt by both the officers and the community they serve. Building trust and fostering meaningful relationships is increasingly difficult when resources are stretched thin and emergency responses take precedence over community engagement.
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