 On June 12, 2020, the City Council passed a resolution committing to create a transformative new model of community safety in Minneapolis.
Since then, internal work groups and key stakeholders have been exploring ways to develop an integrated community safety response that works for everyone.
The City’s community safety transformation process focuses on three main areas:
- Preventing violence.
- Alternatives to police response for 911 calls.
- Reforming law enforcement policies, protocols and practices.
Community engagement update presentation
The City Council's Public Health and Safety Committee regularly receives community safety updates at televised, recorded meetings. These most recent updates included initial findings from an online survey, stakeholder interviews and focus groups from the Office of Violence Prevention. Staff from the City Coordinator’s Office also provided an update on the alternatives to police response rolling out this year. Watch both presentations here, or click the meeting video link in the meeting agenda, and select the Transforming Community Safety chapter to view the presentations with captioning enabled.
Crime prevention specialists transitioning to Neighborhood and Community Relations Department in 2021
As many community members may have heard during the 2021 budget process, the City's crime prevention specialists (CPS) will be moving to the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department (NCR) this year. However, in the immediate term, the CPS staff will maintain their existing location, scope of work and programs. A transition team has been assembled to address each step of this process. The CPS team may also be affected by the citywide community safety transformation. NCR will publish additional updates as information becomes available.
Mental health crisis response pilot
If you have a mental health crisis in Minneapolis, you can still call 911 or the Cope mobile crisis team in Hennepin County: 612-596-1223 (for adults in Hennepin County) and 612-348-2233 (for children 17 and under). In 2021, two mental health teams will be available 24/7 for crisis calls. This means police may not provide the primary response for mental health crisis calls, but police may still respond if both mental health teams are unavailable.
Report-taking pilot program
To report theft of property damage, you can call 311, 911 or submit an online report. As part of a pilot this year, City employees (non-sworn officers) will take theft and property damage reports from residents.
Stay up to date
Learn more about the City’s work to transform community safety and upcoming engagement opportunities.
Translated information
In 2020, the City of Minneapolis Neighborhood and Community Relations Department (NCR) assisted Appetite For Change in applying for and planning a COVID-19 expanded meal access grant from the Minnesota Department of Education. Appetite For Change is a nonprofit community partner of the City based in North Minneapolis that uses food as a tool to build health, wealth and social change.
Amid the pandemic, Appetite For Change sought to expand its existing senior meal distribution program to elders in the Southeast Asian, East African and Latino communities who have been underserved by meal distribution programs. These communities have been hit especially hard during the pandemic, with many losing jobs in the food service industry.
With this grant, Appetite for Change made and delivered over 41,000 culturally appropriate meals for elders and their families living in 500 households. The meals were specifically designed to meet the dietary needs of each community's elders and featured ingredients, spices and cooking methods found in their traditional cuisines.
Three community specialists from NCR, Numan Shaikh, Michael Yang and Mariano Espinoza connected Appetite For Change with community-based kitchens, helped identify households in need, gave recommendations for recipes and linked organizers with other community partners to distribute the meals. Community kitchens included White Dragon Catering, Lake Street Kitchen and Mercado Central. Other partners included Centro Tyrone Guzman, the Hmong 18 Council and high rise apartment buildings in Cedar Riverside.
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 As the COVID-19 situation improves across Minnesota, the State of Minnesota has loosened several safety restrictions as of Jan. 11. Highlights include:
- Indoor dining at bars and restaurants can open at 50% capacity with a maximum of 150 people. Parties of no more than six people must remain 6 feet from other parties, reservations are required, and establishments must close dine-in service by 10 p.m.
- NOTE: In Minneapolis, service at the bar area is still limited by a local emergency regulation, and customers are not allowed to sit at the bar area.
- Gym capacity is limited to 25% and fewer than 150 people, and classes can increase to 25 people if they maintain proper social distancing. Machines and people must maintain 9 feet of distance. Face coverings are required.
- Outdoor events and entertainment can be at or below 25% capacity and must not exceed 250 people. Social distancing is required.
- Indoor events and entertainment such as bowling alleys, movie theaters and museums may open at or below 25%, with no more than 150 people in each area of the venue. Face coverings are required, and they may not offer food service after 10 p.m.
Learn more about the State's response to COVID-19.
The City of Minneapolis is offering free COVID-19 saliva tests. Testing is encouraged and available to everyone, whether or not you have symptoms. It’s one of the best ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 and help prevent exposing your loved ones to the virus. Do not eat, drink or use tobacco products for 30 minutes before taking a COVID-19 saliva test.
Find a current list of free COVID-19 tests on the City website.
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Gov. Tim Walz has extended the peacetime emergency that gives the state flexibility in responding to the pandemic, including safely and effectively distributing the vaccine. Forty-eight other states remain in a state of emergency.
The governor's latest extension of the peacetime emergency means that the suspension of evictions and landlord-initiated lease terminations remains in place until Feb. 12. This suspension will allow households to remain sheltered during the pandemic, but does not relieve a tenant's obligation to pay rent. Watch for future extensions of the peacetime state of emergency on the Governor's Executive Orders page here. Learn more about the State’s response to the pandemic.
The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and have been developed faster than any other in history because of the commitment and funds made available to researchers. Fortunately, researchers have been working on vaccines for similar viruses for years, so they didn’t have to start from scratch. Every available COVID-19 vaccine has undergone the same clinical trials and approvals that all vaccines must. First responders began receiving COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020.
Pictured: Minneapolis Fire Chief Bryan Tyner receiving his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine
How the vaccine works
Different types of COVID-19 vaccines work in different ways to offer protection, but with all types, the body is left with a supply of “memory” cells that will remember how to fight off the virus in the future without us having to get the illness. The first shot starts building protection. A second shot a few weeks later is needed to get the most protection the vaccine has to offer. Find more about how the vaccines work on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
The Minneapolis Health Department has created these informative flyers to share:
Pilot program
On Jan. 18, the State launched a vaccination pilot program at nine sites across Minnesota. As the federal government increases vaccine supply, a more extensive network of vaccination clinics will roll out in communities. Because this is a limited pilot program, vaccine demand is greater than available supply, so please remain patient and continue to wear a mask, wash your hands regularly and stay six feet away from others who do not live in your household.
The January pilot program is open for:
- Minnesotans 65 and older (who can sign up online or over the phone)
- Pre-K-12 educators and staff (who will work directly with their program or school)
- Child care workers (who will be randomly selected and notified)
Vaccines for Minnesotans age 65 and older
Pre-register online or by phone at 833-431-2053. Appointments are extremely limited, and no walk-ins will be accepted.
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Spread the word in multiple languages
View and share the pilot program announcement in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong.
Translated graphics for social media:
Press release:
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Multilingual COVID-19 informational resources
View and share these resources in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong.
Translated COVID-19 case dashboards
You can now view and share daily case numbers and deaths due to COVID-19 in Minneapolis in Spanish, Somali and Hmong. Find the dashboard along with other translated resources at:
Helplines for communities hit hardest by pandemic
A new Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) program is helping fight disparities tied to COVID-19. Begun in early November, the COVID-19 Community Coordinators program taps into the knowledge, expertise and networks of community-based organizations to help share information on COVID-19 safety precautions, available resources like food, medicine and transportation, and where to be tested for the virus.
Stop the Spread: videos in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong
Watch and share these videos in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong to encourage everyone to get tested whether they feel sick or not and stop the spread of COVID-19. Free testing events are listed at Minneapolismn.gov/coronavirus. These strategies will help protect our loved ones and help us all return to normal. Watch and share the videos here.
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City holding online open house Jan. 26 on public realm improvements planned for Upper Harbor Terminal project
The City is hosting an online open house to gather community feedback on improving the public realm for the Upper Harbor Terminal project site in north Minneapolis.
The City has released a draft redevelopment plan for the Upper Harbor site that will connect north Minneapolis to the Mississippi River, retain public ownership of the land, include a new 19-acre park, a community performing arts center, a health and wellness hub and new affordable housing.
It will also provide commercial spaces for local businesses, opportunities for a community-based organization to own or manage commercial real estate and bring 300 living wage jobs to the area.
Stay informed of plans for Metro Blue Line Extension Light Rail Transit project
Project work is moving ahead for the METRO Blue Line Extension Light Rail Transit project that will extend the existing Blue Line from Target Field Station northwest to Brooklyn Park and connect communities along the way. Take a community survey to share your priorities for the project.
In 2021, you will see project partners engaging with communities in the area to gather input to inform of the next phase of project work. Learn more and get involved at www.bluelineext.org.
The Biden administration has taken immediate steps to support our immigrant and refugee communities by signing a number of executive orders and implementing a new Department of Homeland Security Policy memorandum. The actions include a 100-day moratorium on certain deportations, reinstating a program (that had expired Jan. 10) enabling Liberians to obtain work authorization and deferring removal, confirming the census count will include all residents, and ending discriminatory bars to entry into the United States.
The Day One actions of the Biden administration benefiting our immigrant and refugee communities include:
The Trump administration also offered an outgoing memorandum offering deferral of removal for 18 months to Venezuelans in the United States as of Jan. 20.
Deadline to apply for permanent resident status under the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act extended
The Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (LRIF) permits certain citizens of Liberia to immediately file applications for permanent residence in the United States. The deadline has been extended through Dec. 20, 2021.
If you need help finding a lawyer to assist you with an LRIF application, you should contact one of these nonprofit organizations or find a qualified private immigration attorney through the American Immigration Lawyer's Association.
More information
Please contact the City of Minneapolis Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) at 612-394-6018 or oira@minneapolismn.gov for questions relating to these and other immigration developments, or to learn about nonprofit immigration legal service providers that can provide accurate immigration information and assistance.
The City of Minneapolis has funding available for affordable housing projects. The two financing opportunities – (1) Minneapolis Homes: Financing Program and (2) Missing Middle Rental Housing Pilot Program – will collectively have approximately $5M of funding available to develop affordable ownership and rental opportunities on City-owned and privately owned sites throughout Minneapolis.
These programs are part of the City’s significant investments in affordable housing. Submissions for all options are due at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, January 29, 2021.
Read more.
Rebuild Resilient is a program offering energy efficiency and solar related funding for businesses as part of our path to recovery and transformation. Together, we can emerge as a more equitable, inclusive and resilient Minneapolis.
Visit the Green Cost Share / Rebuild resilient web page for more information.
Download and share the program flyer in English, Spanish and Somali:
The Division of Race and Equity is seeking applications for Capacity Building Institute funding. This is a funding opportunity for experienced trainers who have existing or ongoing training opportunities for any of the following groups: community leaders, community cultural healers, faith-based leaders, those who work with youth, mental and behavioral health professionals.
The Division of Race and Equity also seeks to hire an artist team to capture the story of their capacity building efforts from the beginning.
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The City’s new freelance worker protections ordinance took effect Jan. 1. The ordinance will help prevent the exploitation of freelance workers, including many self-employed entrepreneurs who work as independent contractors. Find proposed FAQs, a sample contract and more resources on the City’s website.
The City has formed a new truth and reconciliation workgroup to study the meaning of reconciliation and research different models of truth and reconciliation commissions.
The goal of the truth and reconciliation process is to address specific harms that have created or perpetuated racial disparities. The process will prioritize healing with historically Black American descendants of slavery and American Indian/Indigenous communities.
The workgroup will bring recommendations for a truth and reconciliation process for Minneapolis to the City Council’s Policy & Government Oversight Committee in February.
Read more about the members and this work.
City leaders have created a new report, “Minneapolis Forward: The Path to Recovery and Transformation,” outlining the City’s response to the pandemic and civil unrest in 2020 and priorities for moving forward as Minneapolis continues to face the impacts of these unprecedented challenges. Staff presented the report to the City Council’s Policy & Government Oversight Committee on Jan. 13. Read more.
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