Yes.
Bucking a trend seen across the country in recent years, the Minneapolis Police Department ended 2024 with more police officers than it started with. This marked the first year the department has seen an increase in officers since 2019.
The department ended the year with a net gain of 36 sworn-in officers, according to an email communication by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Additionally, there was a year-over-year 133% increase in applicants looking to join the department.
Most major U.S. cities have struggled with recruitment and retention of police officers due to retirements and reduced interest in law enforcement.
In a weekly newsletter, Frey attributed this increase to aggressive recruitment strategies and the city’s new police contract, which was adopted in July 2024. The new contract gave officers an historic 21.7% salary increase over three years and made Minneapolis police officers among the highest-paid officers in the state, with salaries starting at $90,000.
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Sources
- Mayor Jacob Frey Email Newsletter: Police Staffing Rises in Minneapolis
- City of Minneapolis: Police Contract Passage
- CBS News: Minneapolis Staffing Increase First in Five Years
- MinnPost: Minneapolis Adopts Historic New Contract
- FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin: The Long Game on Law Enforcement Recruitment
