Today, Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz have finalized joint powers agreements (JPA) to provide investigative and law enforcement support in Minneapolis. The ongoing support comes at a critical time before warmer weather and will bolster the City’s overall crime prevention and enforcement strategies.
Through the JPAs, the Minnesota State Patrol will provide targeted enforcement support in city limits and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) will boost investigative capacity, supplementing the Minneapolis Police Department’s (MPD) diminished staffing levels.
“Now is the time, before summer is underway, to bolster public safety resources in our city,” said Frey. “Our collective work aligning MPD, State Patrol, and BCA personnel will help improve safety outcomes rightfully expected by residents and visitors in Minneapolis. I’m grateful to Governor Walz for his support in coordinating a joint powers agreement to keep people in our city safe.”
“We know that the courage, selfless service, and compassion that our Minneapolis police officers show every day in their work helps to make a positive difference in people’s lives,” said Interim Chief Amelia Huffman. “We are deeply grateful to work with our partners from the State Patrol and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. We share one mission: to reduce violence and increase safety and we can achieve better results working together. These collaborative efforts will be key in addressing violence, holding accountable those who choose to harm others, and increasing peace in our city.”
The State Patrol will provide high visibility patrol in agreed upon areas and during agreed upon times to help deter crime. The initiative will encompass both a North and South Focus Zone within Minneapolis. Smaller areas of focus may be determined based on crime analysis and emergent crime. Any changes in the focus areas would need approval by the State Patrol Chief.
The North Focus Zone will generally cover the area commonly known as the West Broadway Business Corridor, which is defined as West Broadway Avenue from North Fourth Street to Penn Avenue North. The South Focus Zone will encompass the area commonly known as the Lake Street Business Corridor, which is defined as Lake Street from Hiawatha Avenue to Interstate 35W and Lake Street from Nicollet Avenue to Hennepin Avenue.
In addition to providing high visibility patrols, the State Patrol will provide enforcement of criminal actions, dangerous driving conduct, and deterrence of crime. They will also monitor MPD radio channels and assist when needed.
Initial staffing for the agreement with the State Patrol is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday each week, including four Troopers per day to provide four hours of targeted patrol and enforcement. The four Troopers will patrol in two squads with two Troopers in each squad. The hours of operation for Troopers in Minneapolis will be between 4 p.m. – 12 a.m. based on the greatest safety needs in the city.
The agreement outlines that MPD will reimburse State Patrol up to a maximum contract amount of $400,000 for law enforcement related expenses based on an hourly rate. The City or State may terminate this agreement at any time, with or without cause, upon 30 days written notice to the other party.
The agreement with the Minnesota State Patrol was signed on April 26, 2022 and is not set to expire until Dec. 31, 2023.
The BCA has been integrating their personnel into MPD since early April to assist with investigatory and law enforcement activities. Specifically, the BCA will be supporting MPD with violent crime investigations including gun crimes, shootings, and carjackings. Currently, 13 BCA investigative staff are embedded in MPD’s Investigations Bureau.
The agreement outlines that the BCA shall be compensated up to an amount of $300,000 during the term of the contract. The BCA will submit an invoice to MPD each month. The City or State may terminate this agreement at any time, with or without cause, upon 30 days written notice to the other party.
The agreement with the BCA was signed on April 28, 2022 and is not set to expire until Dec. 31, 2023.
The Minneapolis City Council authorized entry into the JPAs at the April 14, 2022 Council meeting.
