Court rules Minneapolis mayor failed to hire more police

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled the mayor of Minneapolis hasn’t met a legal duty to hire more police officers or demonstrate why he hasn’t done so.

Chief Justice Lorie Gildea said in Monday’s ruling that Mayor Jacob Frey has a “clear legal duty” under the city’s charter to staff the department with at least 731 sworn officers, a number based on the population of Minneapolis.

Interim City Attorney Peter Ginder says the city has about 300 fewer officers than it did before George Floyd was killed by police in May 2020. Ginder calls it “an unprecedented loss of personnel that is not easily corrected,” but noted that the city has provided funding for additional recruit classes and hiring bonuses.