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ELEFA’s upcoming meeting will provide the public with an opportunity to hear updates from the Independent Evaluator, with a focus on the MPD’s training and the first Semi-Annual Evaluation Report.
Effective Law Enforcement For All (ELEFA) will host a public meeting on March 12 to share updates on our role as the independent evaluator of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights’ (MDHR) Settlement Agreement with the City of Minneapolis on police reform. Community members are invited to attend and learn from ELEFA about the City of Minneapolis’ and Minneapolis Police Department’s (MPD) path to meet the requirements of the MDHR Settlement Agreement.
During these public information sessions, community members can meet ELEFA’s independent evaluator team, learn about their role, and receive updates on implementation progress with a focus on MPD’s policies and training. The meeting is open to the public including members of the media. Food will be served.
Date: Wednesday, March 12
Time: Food will be served at 5:30; Meeting will take place between 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: Ukrainian American Community Center, 301 NE Main St, Minneapolis, MN 55413.
If you have questions or require accommodation to attend, please contact outreach@elefamn.org.
Click here to view the event flyer. For more information about ELEFA, visit the ELEFA website.
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 City officials in Minneapolis on Tuesday reported a “significant” decrease in some violent crime so far in 2025 compared to the same time in 2024.
In a press release from Mayor Jacob Frey’s office, the city cited, in part, a 47% drop in robberies, a 40% decrease in carjackings, and 32% fewer shooting victims. The statistics follow a downward trend seen in 2024. The difference so far this year is that there have been fewer homicides as well.
Asked if the data signals the city has turned a corner, Police Chief Brian O’Hara said, “I would say the police department has turned a corner, which is a very, very necessary part of trying to keep crime under control.”
“Number one, I think the police officers here are in a much better place than when I got here two and a half years ago.” For the first time since 2019, MPD hired more officers than it lost in 2024, Chief O’Hara reported.
O’Hara, in part, credited a significant drop in juvenile violence since the implementation of MPD’s “Curfew Task Force” last summer. “We’re especially developing trust with, you know, these parents of some of these kids that are most violent and most active,” he said.
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 Learn how to put together your own car emergency kit with tips from our Minneapolis Emergency Management Department! Emergency Management Department Director Rachel Sayre, Communication and Outreach Coordinator LaVina Branscomb, and puppy, Andrea, cover key items to include in your car's kit, so you can be prepared for potential emergency situations. This kit is crucial to anyone traveling long distances in any season. Be sure to watch through the end for an update on one of our presenters!
Check out the OCS Safety Tips February video on YouTube. You can also learn more about pet adoption at the city on our Pet Adoption webpage.
An online open house will take place Thursday night to gather more community feedback on potential locations to place speed cameras.
Plans are speeding up surrounding installing cameras throughout Minneapolis to prevent injuries and deaths from traffic-related crashes. On Feb. 25, the city of Minneapolis held an open house at the Minneapolis Central Library to gather feedback from the community on potential locations to place speed cameras as part of a pilot program. It's one initiative part of the city's Vision Zero program which is aimed at saving lives.
"Since 2020, in Minneapolis and across the state and the country, we've seen increases in traffic deaths and the biggest factor in that increase is because of increases in speeding," said Ethan Fawley, Vision Zero program coordinator for the city of Minneapolis.
Last year 80% of fatal crashes in Minneapolis involved clear speeding, according to Fawley.
"When we talk about the 45 people who have been killed in Minneapolis the last three years and crashes involving clear speeding or running red lights, most of those folks were not speeding or running a red light themselves. They were killed by someone who was driving dangerously. This is a proven tool that we can... save lives," Fawley said.
Minneapolis plans to launch cameras on city streets to catch speeders as early as this August. They will start with five locations but it could go as high as 42 over the span of the four-year pilot.
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The Minneapolis Police Foundation is organizing a fundraiser to help fellow officers attend National Police Week in Washington, D.C., allowing them to attend the memorial service for Officer Jamal Mitchell.
Each year, the Fraternal Order of Police holds a service at the U.S. Capitol to honor fallen officers across the nation. Officer Mitchell lost his life in the line of duty in Minneapolis in May 2024.
The memorial service will take place Thursday, May 15. Officer Mitchell’s name will be read aloud as survivors receive the posthumous Fraternal Order of Police Medal of Valor. More information is on GoFundMe.
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Last year, the Minneapolis City Council approved $500,000 to fund the Lake Street Safety Center. The temporary location is under a two-year lease agreement.
In approximately three months of being open, the Lake Street Safety Center next to the light-rail station off Hiawatha Avenue has had 110 visitors, according to data obtained from the city of Minneapolis. That number reflects the number of people who visited the center between its opening day on Nov. 4, 2024 through Feb. 13, 2025.
During that period of time, visitors stopped by for permits, to meet with the crime prevention specialist, and "other city services," such as looking for job applications or information about the safety center.
"We are seeing that people are taking their time and kind of getting to know the center," Minneapolis Director of Community Safety Design and Implementation Amanda Harrington said. "We heard from Hennepin County, which opened a service center just across the street on Lake Street years ago, that it took a while for people in the community to build up trust, to understand what services were provided in that center, and I think we're seeing the same thing."
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Minneapolis property owners can now enter the City Trees Lottery through March 14. Don’t be left out of the shade by missing the chance to purchase up to three low-cost trees at just $30 each.
Lottery information
- Enter the lottery by March 14
- Over 15 varieties of shade and evergreen trees available
- Trees are 3 to 7 feet tall
- Purchase includes:
- One bag of mulch
- Information about planting and caring for your trees
Benefits of trees
Trees offer environmental, economic, and mental health benefits. Planting trees can:
- Save you money on utility bills
- Shade and cool your property
- Connect us to our neighborhood roots
- Collect stormwater runoff
- Provide habitat for wildlife
- Improve our health and well-being
- Increase property values
Check out the video of last year's pick up day
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OCS In the News
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