Case Explained: Lawsuit filed against Minneapolis claims city failed to hire enough police officers – Legal Perspective

A lawsuit was filed against Minneapolis this week, claiming the city, including Mayor Jacob Frey, have failed to hire enough police officers. The petition points back to a 2022 decision by the state supreme court. 

That decision upheld part of a district court ruling finding that the “mayor has a clear legal duty under the Minneapolis City Charter to employ at least 731 sworn police officers”. 

“The message of this case is very straightforward: enforce the law as written, hire more police officers,” said attorney Rachel Paulose with the Upper Midwest Law Center. 

As of this week, the Minneapolis Police Department has 617 sworn officers. In 2025, MPD employed 579 officers and said it was the first time in five years the department had seen a boost in officer numbers.

The police department dwindled after 2020, and by the spring of 2024, Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the department had lost 40% of its police force.

Paulose represents several Minneapolis residents and property owners in this lawsuit, who see a connection between a short-staffed police department and crime. 

“They have experienced everything from hit and run accidents, to spouses being literally hit by vehicles, to homes being literally hit by gunfire to vandalism, property theft,” Paulose said. “They want to see more officers walking the streets of Minneapolis, enforcing the law, investigating crime, arresting criminals.”

The Upper Midwest Law Center first sued over five years ago over this issue, which led to the decision by the state’s highest court. 

A spokesperson for the City of Minneapolis refuted the claims, saying the city is on track to employ over 700 officers in 2027 and has 32 people in the academy now. 

“The City of Minneapolis rejects allegations that the number of police officers has been suppressed,” the spokesperson said. “Minneapolis has the most diverse police force in our history, saw a record number of applications from people wanting to join the department this past year, and has continued to keep violent crime down. All this in a time when other cities across the country are seeing a decrease in police officers.”

City Council approved a pay increase for officers in 2024, making their salaries some of the highest among departments statewide and poured millions into recruitment over the past several years

MPD stretched thin during Operation Metro Surge

The already understaffed police department was stretched thin during Operation Metro Surge, according to a report provided by O’Hara at a city council meeting in early March.

“Before the surge, the department had started to make gains recruiting and trying to rebuild the ranks of the department,” O’Hara said.

The department said it spent about $5.2 million from Jan. 7 to Feb. 1, mostly covering overtime costs. Officers handled more than 50,000 calls in December, January and February; the department had to extend more than 500 shifts and cancelled 1,000 vacation days. 

The report also said nine officers were hurt, 14 cases of post-traumatic stress disorder were reported and eight officers retired during the surge.