00:00No one from the Minneapolis Police Department showed up at the committee meeting.
00:04Instead, council members were told they had to submit questions via email.
00:09Council member Latricia Vitao.
00:11My office has been working really hard for over a year to get answers.
00:17It is another sign of the growing tension between the council and the department,
00:21which is facing a $20 million deficit due to police overtime due to a shortage of officers.
00:27Council member Michael Rainville.
00:28There was only $4 million in the budget for overtime, yet we're $20 million over budget.
00:35He says the police department is still short officers.
00:38Standing now at 635, they have to get up to 771 under terms of a federal consent decree before the
00:45end of the year.
00:46Susie Jones, News Talk 830 WCCO.
00:49Minneapolis appears to be gaining some ground when it comes to hiring more police officers.
00:53Mayor Jacob Fry telling Rena Sargentopoulos on the WCCO morning news that officer applications are up 200 percent with recruitment
01:00rates,
01:01the highest they've been in about a decade, adding that it's the boost is much needed.
01:06We've got fewer officers per capita than virtually any city in the country.
01:09And yes, that has an impact on their ability to investigate, to respond to 911 calls,
01:15to do community engagement, and to build out relationships with the people that they're charged with protecting and serving.
01:22Fry was sued over police staffing levels back in June when there were a reported 649 MPD officers.
01:27A Hennepin County judge ruled that he must employ 731 sworn officers as required in the city charter by January
01:344th of 2027.
01:36A jury trial in that lawsuit is set for next April.
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