On the surface, it's frustrating that a long-awaited study of Minneapolis Police Department staffing doesn't give a definitive answer about the number of cops the department needs.
After all, city and police officials have said over the past 18 months that the study would help set the department's future officer staffing levels. But after $170,000 spent for a year's worth of work, the consulting firm CNA concluded that there are arguments both for and against increasing the sworn ranks of the MPD.
Still, a close look at the report helps clarify why an absolute number wasn't given. CNA ultimately sends that critical question back to Mayor Jacob Frey and the City Council. They must decide what they want from the MPD.
Should officers be walking or riding more beats and spending time getting to know the communities they serve? Should they turn over more nonemergency calls to civilian or mental health staff? What are community expectations for response times to certain kinds of calls? Answering those questions and others will help determine the appropriate number of officers.
The department is down about 300 officers — from its 2020 allotment of 889 — since George Floyd was murdered. An MPD spokesman said this week that the department currently employs 579 sworn officers (about 300 of whom are available for patrol) but that it is authorized to grow to 756 under the current budget.
Although CNA stopped short of giving specific numbers, its report is valuable. It recommends evaluating switching from two- to one-person patrols, rethinking precinct staffing, handling more calls by phone, and considering transferring more nonviolent emergencies to civilian workers. Those steps could free up between 73 and 106 officers, the study estimates. The MPD is already doing pilot programs on shifting some mental health calls and traffic violations away from officers.
At the same time, the city is under a court order to hire nearly 190 officers by June 30 or explain why it can't comply with the minimum number of officers required in the city's charter. Minneapolis officials are awaiting a ruling on an appeal.
The CNA report says the MPD's patrol division — which responds to calls and has the most contact with the public — could be "appropriately staffed or substantially understaffed" depending on how officials want officers to spend their time. Those choices should be "grounded in local context, community expectations, and operation goals and goes beyond the scope of this assessment."
