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June 17, 2026
In this issue:
Summer safety kickoff
 a great time earlier this month at our summer safety kickoff resource fair at Peavey Field Park. We chose this neighborhood, the site of several shootings earlier this year, as a way to highlight how our community can rebuild and work together to rewrite the narrative around gun violence.
Real results
Over recent years, our focused and coordinated public safety strategies have delivered measurable, year-round results:
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Violent crime: According to our Crime Dashboard, the three-year averages of most violent crimes are down more than 20% — and in some cases, such as carjackings, down nearly 40%.
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Shots-fired calls: Year-to-date, our shots-fired calls are less than half what they were five years ago.
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Non-fatal shootings: Non-fatal shootings are down 56% — from 582 in 2021 to 255 in 2025.
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Community feedback: City leaders are also hearing from residents in historically impacted neighborhoods who report feeling safer in their homes and communities.
We are making meaningful progress. But one crime is one too many. We will continue to prioritize public safety and invest in strategies that ensure every resident feels safe in their home, their neighborhood and across the community.
ELEFA releases fourth semi-annual progress report
Effective Law Enforcement for All (ELEFA), the independent monitor for the settlement agreement between the City of Minneapolis and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR), released their semi-annual progress report June 15.
This is the fourth progress report ELEFA has released since it began monitoring progress of the City’s compliance with the settlement agreement on March 18, 2024. The reporting period for the new report covers Oct. 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026.
Operation Safe Summer
As Minneapolis gears up for a busy summer, the City launched a coordinated Summer Safety Plan focused on preventing violence, responding to emergencies, and keeping the city welcoming and safe for everyone.
A key part of that effort is Operation Safe Summer, a week-long coordinated law enforcement effort in early June to target violent offenders, disrupt crime hotspots, and improve public safety across the city. The initiative brings together the Minneapolis Police Department in partnership with the BCA, FBI, DEA, ATF, Minnesota State Patrol, Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, Hennepin County Attorney's Office, Metro Transit Police Department, Minneapolis Park Police and the Plymouth Police Department.
Through these strong partnerships and focused enforcement in this annual operation, Minneapolis continues working to taking guns off the street and reduce crime and ensure residents and visitors can enjoy a safe summer.
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New 1st Precinct in Downtown
 The Minneapolis Police Department’s Downtown 1st Precinct proudly held its official grand opening and open house for the community in mid-May. The new location of the 1st Precinct is 330 S. 12th St. in the historic Century Plaza building.
Previously operating out of a remodeled firehouse on North Fourth Street, the new 1st Precinct now stands as a cutting-edge facility built to better serve residents. The modern operational space features state-of-the-art conference rooms, a large stadium-style training and briefing room, and a dynamic response operations center that serves as a hub for citywide coordination and public safety operations.
A special and meaningful part the ceremony was the dedication of the 1st Precinct flag. The flag once accompanied the casket of Richard Maas, a dedicated 22-year Minneapolis Police juvenile-focused Crime Prevention Specialist and United States Air Force veteran, following his passing in 2017.
To honor his service and legacy, Richard’s wife, Renee Allen — a Crime Prevention Specialist herself working out of the new 1st Precinct — donated the flag in his honor.
The event not only celebrated a new chapter for the 1st Precinct, but also honored the service, sacrifice, and lasting impact of those who helped shape the Minneapolis Police Department and the community it serves.
Be safe with fireworks
Nothing is more patriotic than celebrating the Fourth of July with a fireworks display! If you plan to use fireworks, use only legal fireworks and practice safety. Leave the big fireworks shows to the professionals and instead attend the Red, White and Boom fireworks display.
Legal use
In Minnesota, explosive and aerial fireworks are illegal. The sale, possession and use of certain non-explosive and non-aerial fireworks are permitted.
Illegal fireworks include, but are not limited to:
- Bottle rockets
- Firecrackers
- Roman candles
- Missile-type rockets
Any fireworks that are explosive or aerial
Using fireworks safely
Keep your July 4th celebrations safe and follow these tips:
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Only use Minnesota-legal fireworks like sparklers, fountains, ground spinners and snappers.
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Point fireworks away from people and animals.
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Use fireworks in an open area away from trees and houses.
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Extinguish and dispose of spent fireworks in a bucket of water.
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Do not try to relight a dud.
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Always use caution around fireworks and make sure children are supervised.
Disposing of used fireworks
To safely dispose of fireworks, put them in a bucket of water, then let them soak overnight. Then bag them when wet and put them in your garbage bin. Soaking used fireworks ensures they are fully extinguished and do not start your garbage bin on fire.
Use caution with lithium-ion batteries
Minneapolis Fire often responds to fires caused by improper use of lithium-ion batteries. Batteries, especially rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, can overheat, catch fire, or explode if they are damaged or not used correctly. As device use increases and are recharged more often during summer break, know how to lower the risk of fires and injuries:
- Only use the charging cord that came with the device
- Stop charging a device once it is fully charged
- Store batteries and recharge devices at room temperature
- Do not charge devices under your pillows or blankets, under your bed, or on the couch
- Do not try to recharge batteries that are not rechargeable
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June is Gun Violence Awareness Month
The Minneapolis City Council and Mayor passed a resolution recognizing June 2026 as Gun Violence Awareness Month. The resolution honors the survivors and those whose lives have been lost to gun violence, recognizes the work of community organizations and affirms the City’s commitment to invest in gun violence awareness, education, training, violence prevention and policy change.
Gun violence homicide is a local and national public health concern that disproportionately affects teens and young men ages 15-35, and individuals who identify as Black, American Indian, and Latino, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
In the last year, Minneapolis and Minnesota have experienced gun violence due to interpersonal conflicts, crime, suicide, federal law enforcement, school shootings, mass shootings, and political violence. In Minneapolis, between January and May 2026, 22 homicides have occurred and 88 people suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds.
Gun injuries and deaths are preventable. Community organizations and the City’s contracted partners play a vital role in community violence intervention by providing services such as violence prevention, youth and group violence intervention, violence interruption, hospital-based violence intervention, and community trauma response. These approaches have proven successful in reducing violence and saving lives.
Violence interrupter walks with council members
 Council Members Osman and Wonsley walked with MYDC Violence Interrupters and Neighborhood Safety staff in Cedar-Riverside June 10.
Over the last several weeks, the Neighborhood Safety Department has been hosting walks with MinneapolUS violence interrupter groups for city council members to see how the program works and how concerns and issues in service areas are addressed. These walks took place:
- May 20: TOUCH, attended by Council Members Chavez and Osman
- June 10: MYDC, attended by Council Members Wonsley and Osman
- June 25: Restoration Inc. with Council Member Warren
Violence interrupters identify and calm conflicts that may lead to serious violence. As part of our summer safety work, we’re prioritizing violence prevention work and community engagement programs that make our communities safer.
Ready Camp partners with FATHER Project to teach preparedness skills
The Emergency Management Department recently held a Ready Camp session with the FATHER Project, a program of Goodwill-Easter Seals, which helps fathers overcome challenges so they can better support their children. Through this partnership, attendees learned about how to better prepare for emergencies and disasters they may face.
The 17 fathers enjoyed answering trivia questions and getting useful items like-aid supplies and learning about having a “go bag” with essential supplies like a blanket, snacks, a flashlight and a first aid kit. We also talked about how important it is to take care of yourself during the first few days of an emergency and to stay calm and focused.
This training supports the City’s Emergency Preparedness goals to help communities become safer and more prepared for emergencies. Thank you to the FATHER Project team, volunteers, and everyone who took part in the training. We appreciate your partnership.
Interested in hosting a Ready Camp in 2027?
We’re already planning Ready Camp trainings for 2027. Email us if your community organization or group is interested in hosting one.
Reporting noise complaints
As the weather warms up and we spend more time outside, the number of noise complaints the City receives increases. Our 911 center gets the most calls of the year during the week of July 4.
Keep 911 open for emergencies
Help reduce 911 calls to allow priority emergency calls to be answered as quickly as possible. Call 911 when:
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Someone needs medical attention
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Fireworks are directed at people or property
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Fireworks start a fire or cause smoldering
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Children are using fireworks unsupervised
Use 311 for non-emergencies
You can make noise and fireworks complaints through:
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Texting “fireworks” to 311898 to report on the City’s website
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By calling 311 during business hours, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday
- 311 is closed July 3 and open 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. July 4
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School Based Clinics supports students during summer break
The Minneapolis School Based Clinics (SBCs) are open for the summer. Students and their caregivers can call the appointment line at 612-394-3278 to schedule their visit.
Summer vaccinations
School vaccines are being offered at South High School over the summer. The vaccines are available to ages four and up. No walk-ins are accepted. A parent or guardian must be present for the appointment.
Schedule a vaccination appointment
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Call or text 612-394-3241 to schedule today
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