Minneapolis' huge drop in traffic stop numbers
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Minneapolis Police Department officers pulled over 82% fewer drivers for breaking traffic laws last year than they did at their pre-pandemic peak, an Axios analysis has found.
Why it matters: While the steep drop-off comes as traffic stop reforms have rolled out in recent years, the numbers also raise questions about how a short-staffed MPD can enforce road safety as the city struggles to curb traffic crashes and fatalities.
By the numbers: Between 2017 and 2021, traffic stops dropped off sharply in both Minneapolis (by 72%) and St. Paul (by 48%), according to separate databases compiled by their respective police departments.
- Some stops were for non-traffic-related reasons, including for investigations or for what MPD called "suspicious" vehicles.
Yes, but: In 2023, St. Paul police stopped nearly as many drivers for moving violations as they did pre-pandemic.
- Meanwhile, MPD's stop numbers for moving violations haven't rebounded from their post-2020 drop.
The fine print: The MPD data Axios analyzed does not list the specific moving violation — speeding or otherwise — that triggered a stop.
The big picture: In the decade since a St. Anthony police officer killed Philando Castile during a traffic stop, reformers nationwide have pushed departments to rethink their policies.
- In Minneapolis, a scathing 2022 state investigation found MPD officers were more likely to use force during traffic stops involving a Black driver.
- A settlement agreement now forbids MPD officers from stopping drivers for certain minor traffic violations, such as having expired license plates, having a single busted light or mirror, or failing to signal a turn.
State of the roads: Meanwhile, city officials say "high speeding" is Minneapolis' "biggest traffic safety challenge."
- Fatal crashes have spiked since the pandemic — and most of them have involved "clear speeding," Ethan Fawley, who coordinates the city's Vision Zero traffic and pedestrian safety efforts, told Axios.
Between the lines: Research generally confirms that "dramatic" decreases in enforcement do make roads more dangerous, University of Minnesota associate professor Nichole Morris told Axios.
- Marginal increases in enforcement don't make much difference, Morris added — but a total halt or steep drop-off in enforcement bolsters the average driver's perception that they're not at risk of a speeding ticket.
Friction point: The advocacy group Our Streets argues that street engineering, not enforcement, is the key to safer roads.
- It has pushed for adding raised pedestrian crosswalks, traffic circles or protected bike lanes that slow speeds.
- "An enforcement strategy disproportionately impacts low-income residents and people of color," the group's spokesperson, Carly Ellefsen, told Axios, noting streets in their neighborhoods are also some of the city's least safe.
Context: MPD is historically short-staffed, which often requires officers to focus on the most serious calls.
- Staffing is "certainly a factor" in the traffic stop decline, department spokesperson Sgt. Garrett Parten told Axios in an email.
- Vision Zero coordinator Fawley said his job isn't to set MPD's priorities, but he also recognizes "the realities of where we're at with [officers'] capacity and community trust" in the department.
The intrigue: Statewide data on police traffic stops isn't publicly available, but the number of driving while impaired (DWI) stops in Minnesota has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
- There were more DWI stops in Minneapolis last year than in 2017 — but a greater share of those incidents were handled by the State Patrol, the data shows.
What we're watching: Minneapolis hopes to place the first five speed enforcement cameras of a new pilot program later this year.
- Morris is a huge fan of such cameras, while Ellefsen said the money would be better spent on street design changes.