|
By an 8-4 vote, the Minneapolis City Council approved a collective bargaining agreement on Thursday, July 18, with the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis (POFM). The agreement gives Minneapolis police officers a historic pay increase and important reforms. The vote marks the successful conclusion of a nearly 10-month negotiation between the City and POFM.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, City leaders, labor relations representatives and members of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) gathered to celebrate the milestone following the City Council vote.
The contract, which applies to the period January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2025, includes a 21.7 percent pay increase over three years. The salary bump means MPD officers will be among the highest paid in Minnesota by 2025.
MPD Chief Brian O’Hara praised the City Council’s vote to strengthen and support the police force.
Key reforms and contractual changes include:
-
A zipper clause: A common term in collective bargaining agreements which eliminates any prior side agreements (LOAs) that are not attached to the contract. This gives the City, the POFM and the public the full scope of what has been agreed to in writing at the start of the term of the contract.
-
Increased staffing flexibilities: the agreement gives management more discretion over job assignments and staffing ratios, so that Chief O’Hara and his leadership team can assign officers to areas of the greatest need and make promotions based on candidate readiness, not based on a mandated percentage.
-
Employing civilian investigators: the MPD has identified opportunities to assign civilians clerical and investigative work so officers are deployed where they’re needed most.
-
Public data requests: Officers will no longer receive automatic notification of the identity of the person requesting public personnel data about them.
-
Extending investigation leave time: If there are allegations of severe misconduct, Chief O’Hara will have complete discretion to place the officer on paid investigatory leave and continue the leave for up to 180 days, instead of 30 days. This keeps the officer off the street while an investigation continues.
More information on the City’s contract negotiations with the POFM is available on the City’s website.
The full, clean version of the contract will be made public in the coming days after final review by both parties.
 Michelle Phillips was sworn in Tuesday, July 16, at City Hall. Mayor Jacob Frey nominated Phillips and the City Council unanimously confirmed her appointment in May.
Director Phillips joins the City after previously serving as the first Inspector General for the City of Oakland, California. She has a deep expertise in civilian oversight of police, providing leadership in the promotion of constitutional policing and building departmental infrastructure to ensure thorough and fair investigative processes. Prior to her service in Oakland, Phillips served as Deputy Inspector General with the City of Baltimore, leading an investigative team focused on rooting out fraud and abuse and building trust in local government.
The Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights is tasked with:
- enforcing the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances,
- investigating discriminatory practices,
- ensuring the protection of members of protected classes and
- promoting the understanding of civil rights among residents, businesses and government.
The department, through its Office of Police Conduct Review, also plays a critical role in implementing reform efforts required by the settlement agreement reached with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
Read more about Phillips appointment on the City website.
The City has appointed 15 community members to serve on the African American Heritage Work Group. They will advise the Minneapolis City Council on efforts to document and honor African American history.
The group will focus on the Minneapolis African American Historic and Cultural Context study. It will include research on 25 sites that are culturally relevant or historically significant to the City’s Black community. Three sites from the study will be nominated to the
Artists, educators, community leaders, and planners are among the volunteers selected for the work group. They will begin meeting in late July.
Read more about the African American Heritage Work Group and sign up for an email newsletter on the City website.
Find out about the Minneapolis African American Historic and Cultural Context study
Staff from the City’s Office of Community Safety (OCS) gave an update to the Minneapolis City Council on Wednesday, July 10, about the new community safety centers in south Minneapolis.
OCS Director of Design & Implementation Amanda Harrington shared with the council that the first round of community engagement has finished. In order to hear from as many people as possible, the City reached out to residents in many different ways. “Some people may be OK filling out a survey, but for others it’s better to talk,” Harrington said.
According to the community engagement report, participants prioritized social services for affordable housing, mental health, unsheltered resources, substance use disorders and youth.
Participants also cited the following important resources: community meals and meeting spaces, childcare for center users, legal services and medical services. They also mentioned concerns about domestic violence, human trafficking and food insecurity.
The next step is for the City to decide on the services and resources that will be found in the centers, find providers, and continue the design process.
More information about the community safety center can be found on the City website.
Read the community engagement report (PDF).
Show your support for Black business development in Minneapolis with the City’s annual Black Business Week, July 22-28.
Highlights include:
- Black Business Week kickoff.
- Doing business with the City mini conference.
- Career and networking fair.
- Emerging developer project tour and social hour: Coliseum building
- East African business resource fair.
- West Broadway business area tour, discussion, and networking event.
- Pop-up markets.
Watch a video about Black Business Week, view a full list of events and register for events on the City website.
Dear Ward 6 Constituents,
Please join me during our community office hours to chat and discuss issues that matter the most to you.
Thank you!
 |
