Children of Lamandre Wright Sr., who was being sworn in as a Minneapolis police officer, watched the during a swearing in ceremony. Renee Jones Schneider/STAR TRIBUNE
The Minneapolis Police Department will move closer to reaching its authorized strength of 860 officers tonight when the force's latest of recruits is sworn in 7 p.m. ceremony at St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church.
The graduating class, which comprises 32 men and women who successfully went through the department's four-month training academy, will bring the department's strength to 848, according to an MPD spokesman. Ten of the rookie cops are transfers from other departments, bringing with them the experiences of agencies ranging from the Hennepin County Sheriff's office to the Mille Lacs tribal police.
Officials said they were hopeful the department will be able to reach Chief Janeé Harteau's end-of-year goal of 860 officers in the next few months. The city's 2016 budget provides for adding two additional officers, who will likely be stationed downtown, which has seen a sharp increase in violent crime.
A new recruit class is expected to be announced "in the coming days," the spokesman said.
