MINNEAPOLIS — The city of Minneapolis has reached a joint powers agreement with the state of Minnesota that will allow troopers from the Minnesota State Patrol and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) to assist MPD, as the department continues to experience low staffing levels.
“Now is the time, before summer is underway, to bolster public safety resources in our city,” Mayor Jacob Frey said in a news release. “Our collective work aligning MPD, State Patrol, and BCA personnel will help improve safety outcomes rightfully expected by residents and visitors in Minneapolis. I’m grateful to Governor Walz for his support in coordinating a joint powers agreement to keep people in our city safe.”
Several officers have left MPD in the two years since the murder of George Floyd by then-officer Derek Chauvin, amid ongoing discussions about changes and reforms to the department.
The agreements will give state troopers the authority to provide "targeted law enforcement support in city limits," according to a news release.
The State Patrol will primarily provide "high visibility patrols" within the city's North Focus Zone, from West Broadway to North 4th Street to Penn Avenue N; as well as the South Focus Zone covering Lake Street from Hiawatha Ave. to I-35W and between Nicollet and Hennepin Avenues. Those additional State Patrol units will operate from 4 p.m. Thursday until 12 a.m. Saturday.
The agreement with the BCA will give state agents the authority to assist MPD with violent crime investigations, including cases involving shootings and carjackings. There are currently 13 BCA staffers working with MPD's Investigations Bureau.
When asked at a press conference Thursday if the number of additional law enforcement officers is actually enough to address current crime levels, Frey said "Nobody’s arguing that the additional assistance... is enough to tackle the issue. As you know, our PD is down significantly in terms of numbers. Will this along solve the problem? No but it’ll help.”
Frey also spoke about some of the additional resources the city is deploying to fight crime and keep young people from picking up guns, including violence interrupters and job training programs. "It needs to be multifaceted," he said.
“Law enforcement and police officers are part of that strategy. But that’s not the only part.”
“We know that the courage, selfless service, and compassion that our Minneapolis police officers show every day in their work helps to make a positive difference in people’s lives,” Interim Chief Amelia Huffman said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to work with our partners from the State Patrol and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. We share one mission: to reduce violence and increase safety and we can achieve better results working together. These collaborative efforts will be key in addressing violence, holding accountable those who choose to harm others, and increasing peace in our city.”
The BCA agreement will cost the city $300,000 through Dec. 31, 2023. The city will pay the Minnesota State Patrol troopers an hourly rate of $112.58, and $45.94 hourly for clerical support.
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