A Hennepin County court has ordered Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to increase the number of city police officers to a legally-required minimum number. That order, which was issued Thursday, says Frey could face a civil trial if he fails to prove the city has 731 officers.
Under the Minneapolis City Charter, the city is required to have 0.0017 sworn police officers on staff for every resident of the city. In the 2020 census, Minneapolis’ population was just below 430,000 people. As such, the city is required to employ 731 police officers.
However, the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) has been below that number for years.
Prior to the 2020 death of George Floyd, Minneapolis employed almost 900 police officers. Following the death of George Floyd and the riots that ensued, a mass exodus of police officers occurred. By 2022, there were only 539 officers on staff.
In 2020, the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC) filed a lawsuit against the city on behalf of several Minneapolis residents. The lawsuit said Minneapolis was failing to staff the legally-required minimum number of police officers.
That lawsuit resulted in a 2022 ruling from the Minnesota Supreme Court which said the city must employ 731 police officers in accordance with the City Charter. Since then, the city has still failed to meet that minimum number.
Earlier this year, the UMLC filed another lawsuit attempting to force Frey to hire more officers to meet the requirement. On Thursday, a Hennepin County court issued an alternative writ of mandamus which requires Frey to prove the city has 731 police officers by Jan. 4, 2027.
According to court documents, Frey will face a civil trial in April of if he fails to prove the city has the requisite number of officers by Jan. 4, 2027. That trial would explore whether the mayor has a “valid excuse for nonperformance of this duty.”
“This is an important step toward restoring accountability for Minneapolis residents,” UMLC President Doug Seaton said in a statement following the court ruling. “The City Charter is not optional. The Minnesota Supreme Court already recognized this staffing requirement, and Minneapolis officials have a legal duty to comply.”
Minneapolis Communications Director Scott Wasserman informed Alpha News that the city currently has 638 sworn officers in its employ. Additionally, Wasserman said there are 30 recruits currently going through the police academy.
“There are few police departments working harder to recruit and hire officers than MPD,” Wasserman said. “We’ve brought on more than 150 officers since the beginning of 2025, applications are up more than 200% since 2023, and we’ve built the most diverse police force in Minneapolis history.”
“You don’t strengthen a police department through lawsuits,” added the city spokesperson. “You do it through recruitment, hiring, and retention. That’s exactly what we’re doing, and it’s working.”
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
