Photo Credit: Facebook / Minneapolis Police Department/ Graduating officers
(MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.) – A large, diverse group of recruits graduated from the Minneapolis Police Academy and took their oath at St. Olaf Catholic Church on September 23. The new officers joining the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) include 28 men and two women, nine of whom are from six countries other than the U.S.
Most graduates will work for the MPD; one will join the Minneapolis Park Police. The Pandemic and the number of officers who left following the murder of George Floyd contributed to the loss of approximately 400 of its once 900-officer-strong police force.
Photo Credit: Facebook / Minneapolis Police Department/ Graduation announcement
A 2022 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling stated that the city had to uphold its charter requirements. Minneapolis City Charter Section 7.3(c) requires the City Council to “fund a police force of at least 0.0017 per resident,” which is approximately 731 officers at Minneapolis’s current population.
So far, the city has been unable to meet those requirements, which led Upper Midwest Law Center to file suit in 2026. As a result, Hennepin County Judge Laura Thomas ruled that Mayor Jacob Frey must meet the threshold by January 4, 2027. If not, he will have to prove he shouldn’t be held in contempt of court at an April trial.
“This is an important step toward restoring accountability for Minneapolis residents,” said Upper Midwest Law Center President Doug Seaton.
Photo Credit: Facebook / Minneapolis Police Department/ New officers salute
With the newly sworn officers, Minneapolis now has 643 active officers. That’s far below the 900 it had before the pandemic, but edging closer to the amount required by the city charter. MPD Commander Monica Hanson said this was one of the largest classes to graduate since 2020, and praised the community and city support for the program.
Mayor Jacob Frey was at the graduation ceremony to encourage the recruits and stress the weight of their position: “This is not easy work, but we believe in you.”
The new officers are currently doing mandatory fieldwork on the streets of Minneapolis.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please contact me at kristin.h@lead4earth.org.
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