Minneapolis leaders are weighing whether to sign off on a new police contract that grants its officers historic wage increases, bumping starting salaries past that of some of the nation’s largest law enforcement agencies, in a desperate effort to rebuild its dwindling ranks.
The proposed contract would guarantee a nearly 22% pay raise for veteran officers by next summer and boost starting salaries for rookies fresh out of the academy to over $90,000 a year — a sum surpassing the comparable wage schedules of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Mayor Jacob Frey and Chief Brian O’Hara cast the raises as critical to attracting quality recruits, retaining experienced officers and restoring public trust amid court-mandated reforms seeking to overhaul the embattled department in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder.
“At a minimum, you deserve to be among the highest-paid police officers in this state. Period,” O’Hara told rank-and-file officers in April. He emphasized that officers deserve a labor agreement that “clearly recognizes the demands, the dangers and the unparalleled level of scrutiny” they are under.
Frey and O’Hara have said the contract would make Minneapolis police among the top three highest-paid officers in the state, depending on which years you’re comparing. Frey said Tuesday he’s not aware of how the pay stacks up nationally, and he cautioned against comparing the Minneapolis contract to those of other major American cities, noting that there are other ways to boost officer compensation outside of the basic wage schedule.
But local activists are calling on City Council members to reject the deal, denouncing the collective bargaining agreement as an attempt to inflate wages without upholding promises of improving police accountability.
In a letter to elected officials, Communities United Against Police Brutality called it “unconscionable” to dole out double-digit raises to a department that has cost the city over $71 million in police brutality settlements since 2019.
“That level of pay increase should be reserved for a police force that shows an appropriate level of service and accountability to the community,” wrote Michelle Gross, president of the watchdog group.
Since June 1, 2020, Minneapolis has also shelled out more than $24 million in workers’ compensation settlements to more than 150 Minneapolis police officers, according to a Star Tribune review of City Council minutes. Many left the department after filing PTSD claims, contributing to a nagging staffing shortage that has shrunken the agency by more than 40% since May 2020. MPD currently has 516 sworn staff on active duty, compared to roughly 900 at its peak.
A showdown over the contract comes amid continued fallout from the recent line-of-duty death of Minneapolis police officer Jamal Mitchell and a projected $21.6 million budget hole, which may result in steep property tax hikes for residents.
Minneapolis’ current police labor agreement was adopted in March 2022 after state mediation and expired Dec. 31 of that year.
The 166-page contract requires sign-off by the full City Council, which could vote as soon as Thursday or as late as mid-July. The body doesn’t have the ability to propose changes to the labor agreement, only to approve or reject it. If they refuse to endorse it, the city must return to mediation alongside the police union, according to the city.
What provisions does it include?
- Broadens the Chief’s managerial powers in a variety of ways: Several provisions grant O’Hara more discretion in how and where he can move personnel, including temporarily reassigning supervisors to officer duties; requiring all officers work at least one critical staffing overtime shift — where they receive double their hourly pay — every 28 days. Another extends the time period in which an officer accused of misconduct can be placed on leave while being investigated, from 30 days to 180 days.
- Expands the number of civilian investigator positions in the department.
- Raises Field Training Officer (FTO) pay from $2,500 to $3,000
- Codifies Coaching: Language cements the city’s longstanding position that coaching, a form of one-on-one mentoring to correct low-level policy violations, does not constitute as discipline and therefore isn’t public. (Despite years of denial, police have at times used this corrective measure to address instances of serious officer misconduct, a Star Tribune story last month revealed.)
- Rolls back language requiring that an officer be automatically told the identity of an individual who requests their public personnel records. (A provision criticized in the previous contract for its potential to infringe access to public data.) Officers will still be notified when someone pulls their file.
How to pay for it
The contract will cost an estimated $9 million in future spending — but the exact price tag is not yet clear, as a large portion includes pro-rated backpay. Some officers who have since left the department are still eligible for those raises.
Frey said he intends to spread the cost over three years — from 2025 through 2027 — in hopes of reducing the immediate property tax impact. He wants to fund those incentives through state public safety aid approved by the Legislature for Minneapolis last year, although much of that money has already been appropriated by the council to programs that focus on nontraditional policing, crime prevention and racial justice-informed public safety.
Members of the council’s progressive wing lambasted that plan during a committee hearing Monday and at Tuesday’s news conference, saying that it amounted to “defunding” community-based alternatives.
“Mayor Frey and his administration put forward a proposal that defunds comprehensive public safety in order to pay for this Federation contract,” Council Vice President and Budget Committee Chair Aisha Chughtai said. “Pitting comprehensive public safety solutions that are urgently needed across our communities in return for paying for a Federation contract is a false choice. It’s irresponsible.”
Scheduling bickering
On Tuesday, disagreement surfaced in City Hall over when the council will vote. In a morning news conference, City Council President Elliott Payne said the council would delay its vote until July 18 to give the public time to digest the contract and allow for two public hearings.
But Frey called a news conference soon after and criticized that delay, calling for the council to approve the contract Thursday— and noting that the council could have voted on the contract as early as June 13.
“It doesn’t make a lot of sense to delay this vote even further so that a bunch of people can come in to be for police or against police,” Frey said. “There’s nuance to this contract.”
The public will have their first chance to weigh in on the police contract tonight at 5 p.m. A second hearing is envisioned for July 8 — assuming the council doesn’t vote the contract up or down Thursday. During the public hearing, committee members could vote to delay the final vote until July 18.
Liz Sawyer, Dave Orrick
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