The City Budget

After the City Council was stymied in its 2020 effort to defund the police through a Charter Amendment, it went on to significantly impact the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) via the city budget. (The budget is proposed by the Mayor but approved by the Council.) Shifting funds through its “Safety for All Budget Plan” amendments, the Council moved most of the MPD’s community engagement programs to other city departments and shifted over $8 million to other areas, including the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), and use of mental health crisis response teams.

Partially out of funds from the MDP budget, the Council created a Public Safety Reserve Fund of $11.4 million for funding of police overtime and new police recruiting classes. (City Council controls use of this reserve fund.)

Initially, the City Council also voted to cut the police force from 888 officers to 750, but changed course after the Mayor threatened a veto. (The actual number of active officers was down by 100-200 through most of 2020, and that number continues to be down in 2021.)

The City Council’s budget reductions to the police department were on top of Mayor Frey’s proposed 7.4% budget cut of $14 million to the MPD as a result of COVID-19 pandemic impact on City resources. The overall police budget is $179 million.

Specific Budget Impacts on Minneapolis Police Department

• $6.4 million transferred to the Public Safety Reserve Fund 
• $2.8 million shifted to the City Coordinator’s Office of Performance and Innovation to oversee and develop four public safety pilot projects   
• $1.7 million shifted to the Office of Violence Prevention (includes expansion of violence prevention programs including the Community Navigators Program)
• $1.5 million shifted to Neighborhood & Community Relations Department (Crime Prevention Specialists)
• $335,000 was shifted to the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department to expand Police Conduct Reviews
• $317,000 shifted to 311 for response to property damage calls

To see the entire 2021 budget, click here.

Learn more about the role of the mayor and the city council.