For the third year in a row the city of Minneapolis canceled a Fourth of July fireworks, but that did not stop bad actors from unleashing a chaotic night of firework wars and shootings, including one that left seven people hospitalized. This night of terror is a direct product of Mayor Frey failing to employ the minimum number of 731 police officers required by the Minneapolis City Charter.
The Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC) has been fighting on behalf of eight Minneapolis residents since the summer of 2020 to stop the defunding of the Minneapolis police and restore the force, as required by law. UMLC obtained a Court order requiring Mayor Frey to restore the police force to 731 or more officers, well over the current 564 active-duty officers. Last month, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in favor of UMLC’s lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis by upholding the Minneapolis City Charter’s police staffing minimum.
This sets the stage for a hearing in Hennepin District Court on August 1, 2022, for Mayor Frey to provide evidence of his efforts to recruit and retain a police force. Until Mayor Frey and the City of Minneapolis address the understaffed and underfunded police department, our clients and all residents of the City will continue to suffer.
Learn more about Spann, et al. v. Minneapolis City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey and the Court’s recent decision.
