Minneapolis embraces St. Paul policing strategy
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Mayor Jacob Frey and other city and law enforcement leaders speak at a press conference Monday. Photo: Nick Halter/Axios
Minneapolis is borrowing a St. Paul strategy aimed at preventing homicides by solving more nonfatal shootings.
Why it matters: Minneapolis has struggled to bring its homicide rate back down to where it was before a surge that began in 2020.
- Meanwhile, St. Paul and Ramsey County's focus on solving nonfatal shootings has led to a dramatic decline in homicides, which dropped from 33 in 2024 to 15 last year, the lowest total in St. Paul since 2013.
- Minneapolis reported 64 in 2024, which was still above the 48 murders in 2019.
Driving the news: Minneapolis leaders on Monday announced the formation of a task force comprising eight MPD officers, four Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents, a Ramsey County sheriff's deputy, a Metro Transit Police officer, and additional detectives from Bloomington joining in June.
What they're saying: "Good mayors copy and great mayors steal," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said. "We're taking this idea and we're instituting it here in Minneapolis because we recognize this could ultimately save lives."
Yes, but: Frey is stealing an idea that former St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Ramsey County Attorney John Choi stole from Denver.
- How it works: Solving nonfatal shootings, which are often gang related, prevents future retaliatory homicides by interrupting the cycle of violence, leaders told MPR News. St. Paul increased its nonfatal shooting clearance rate from 37% in 2024 to 71% last year.
Between the lines: As to why it took so long for Minneapolis to adopt St. Paul's policy, Frey pointed to staffing shortages that have plagued MPD since 2020, though the police ranks began to rebound last year.
Council Member Robin Wonsley said Monday that Minneapolis still faces hurdles in staffing the task force because of restrictions in the city's police union contract. Right now the task force is reliant on help from other agencies.
- "I look forward to working with our partners and the mayor to really make sure that we're addressing that barrier in the upcoming police contract," Wonsley said.
Zoom out: State lawmakers recently approved nearly $1 million in grants to help other departments across Minnesota adopt similar nonfatal shooting investigation strategies.