MINNEAPOLIS — It's been quite a long four years for the Minneapolis Police Department, from the chaos of 2020 to a rise in youth crime.
MPD Chief Brian O'Hara says he wants to lead the greatest comeback story in policing when he took the job, but he calls the current state of things in Minneapolis "unsustainable" and nearing a crisis.
"I see, internally, how burnt out some of our officers are," Chief O'Hara said. "We have to realize that we've gotten 40% smaller than we were three years ago when there was much less crime and violence, and we have to recognize that it's not sustainable."
Chief O'Hara says it's no secret that much of the strain on the MPD right now can be traced to an exponential growth in juvenile crime, from car thefts sparked by the viral videos that exposed Kia and Hyundai security issues to a recent cluster of fast-paced robbery sprees.
O'Hara: "Unfortunately, with the level of staffing that we have, it's triage like everything else. And we're not going to do what would probably happen in the in the majority of the state. I think a majority of law enforcement in the state, when they see a stolen car, they're going to pursue it and then arrest people. We're not going to chase cars that are just stolen. So that's never been a part of our law enforcement strategy."
Erdahl: "Do you believe it should be?"
O'Hara: "No. I mean, it's just it's ridiculous to try and chase a car that's stolen in a city and put a police officer's life, those kids lives, and everybody else that's out here at risk just for a stolen car, especially when we know what's going to happen. We take the kids into custody and more likely than not, everyone except the driver will be immediately released."
O'Hara says communication with the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) has led to some limited progress on that issue, but he says much more needs to be done.
O'Hara: "In Hennepin County, we have seen an improvement where our officers, when they request for people to be held, there has certainly been more consideration then for that. But that's something that the individual officer has to request each time. It doesn't seem like JDC is aware of all the facts when they're making these decisions.
I think the entire system was overwhelmed by it, and it continues to be a problem. Yes, auto theft is down about a third compared to where we were at this point last year. It's still way above what it had been prior to this problem. And there is absolutely overlap between kids joyriding in stolen cars, stealing these KIAs and Hyundai's, and the robbery sprees that we're seeing."
He says another overlapping issue, that also adds danger to every other response, is the prevalence of guns throughout the community.
O'Hara: "We have just so many more guns that wind up stolen. I think last year we had almost 500 guns that were reported stolen in the city of Minneapolis alone... about half of the guns that get stolen in the city are stolen from inside of cars. People are leaving guns fully loaded under their seat in the glove box, the back seat. I understand why people do that, because they're afraid... Not only can that result in really, really tragic consequences for a victim, it can change that person's life also forever."
And while he says MPD did remove about 11 hundred guns from the streets last year, he says they can't do it alone.
O'Hara: "While I am all for the Second Amendment and lawful gun ownership at the same time, I think we have to remember that the facts just are, you know, when there are more guns in circulation, there will be more harm.
The majority of the guns that wind up in crimes in Minnesota were originally legally purchased here. That's different from where I come from is different from a lot of other cities. It's different from what you would see on the West Coast or in the Northeast."
While he wouldn't rule out supporting some types of gun control legislation, O'Hara says his chief concern is getting help for his officers, which begins with a new contract.
O'Hara: "The cops have been working here over a year without a contract. I think Minneapolis, I think, is 17th for starting pay in the metro. That's got to get corrected. You know, there's no question. You know, the cops here are, if not the most scrutinized among the most scrutinized in the country. And I think a lot of that is earned. But at the same time, we have to recognize this job is what it is. It's extremely difficult. There's a whole lot of challenges. And if we want to attract, you know, good people, the best and the brightest who are interested in this profession, we have to make it worthwhile."
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