The Minneapolis city council voted on November 17 to reject a proposal to providing bonuses to all Minneapolis police officers at a time when the department is facing critically low staffing levels, despite Mayor Jacob Frey urgently calling for the decision to be reconsidered.
The move comes in response to a significant loss of over 300 officers from the Minneapolis Police Department since 2018.
In early November, Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara proposed a plan to rebuild the city’s police force and boost recruitment by offering $15,000 recruitment bonuses and $18,000 retention bonuses.
However, on November 14 the city council voted 7–5 against even considering the proposal, leaving O’Hara deeply concerned about the dire staffing shortage facing the police force.
“We are at such a critical point. This is really beyond words,” O’Hara told CBS News.
The council argued that the bonuses were not effective tools to solve the recruiting crisis. But police officials counter that one major obstacle in rebuilding the department’s ranks is the stark difference in pay compared to other cities.
According to statewide police union data, Minneapolis ranks 18th in starting pay, with new officers earning approximately $71,000 annually. In contrast, the nearby city of Blaine holds the top position, with starting pay reaching $93,000 per year.
The department also ranks 21st for paying veteran officers — which officials say is too low for a major city.
“You can’t play politics with public safety. You have too many people dying,” O’Hara told CBS News.
“You have too many victims of violent crime and one of the lowest-staffed police department of any city in America,” the chief added.
The proposed bonuses, totaling $18,000 over a three-year period, aimed to curb the unprecedented staff exodus. The agreement, estimated to cost $15 million, would include cash incentives for both current officers and new hires, with the goal of making Minneapolis more competitive in attracting and retaining law enforcement personnel.
Frey, speaking at a news conference before the November 14 vote, stressed the importance of restoring managerial authority to the police chief, allowing for more flexibility in addressing department needs. The proposed agreement would grant O’Hara greater discretion in managing officer shifts to respond more effectively to evolving circumstances.
“This is one important step in bringing it back so our police chief can lead, can make personnel decisions and to locate people where they’re needed most at the time they’re needed most,” Frey said.
The funding for the proposed cash incentives, amounting to $19 million, was expected to come from a one-time infusion of state surplus money designated for public safety aid.
Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis President Sherral Schmidt noted that the “bigger issue at hand” is the city’s failure to offer competitive wages to police officers, echoing concerns about Minneapolis’ ability to attract and retain qualified personnel.
As of October, the Minneapolis Police Department had 573 officers, down from about 900 in 2020. Both Frey and O’Hara underscored the critical need to replenish the ranks to maintain the downward trend in violent crime witnessed this year.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis faces broader challenges, including a state mandate to reform its police department and negotiations with the Justice Department regarding federal charges of a pattern of racist and abusive behavior within the force.
Frey concluded, “We need to be holding officers accountable, and at the same time, they are doing a very tough job, and we need to make sure that we are paying for the kind of service — the kind of accountability — that we are all expecting on a daily basis.”
The mayor requested the city council to hold an emergency vote to reconsider its decision. However, three days later, the council voted 8–5 to reject the proposal.
