Community listening sessions set ahead of Minneapolis police union negotiations
MINNEAPOLIS – Minneapolis residents are invited to give their input on the future of the city's police department.
City leaders will soon enter negotiations for a new three-year contract with the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis (POFM), the union that represents the city's law enforcement members.
Three community listening sessions are scheduled in August:
* Wednesday, Aug. 3: 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at Whittier Park Recreation Center
* Monday, Aug. 15: 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park Recreation Center
* Monday, Aug. 22: 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at Folwell Recreation Center
City officials say the listening sessions were set up by a workgroup established by Mayor Jacob Frey, which include Minneapolis City Council members Andrea Jenkins, Lisa Goodman, Aisha Chughtai and LaTrisha Vetaw.
MPD has lost almost 300 officers since the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020 by ex-officer Derek Chauvin. Minneapolis has also seen an uptick in violent crime and homicides over the past two years.
As of May, the city currently has around 621 sworn officers. The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in June that the city must have a minimum of 731 sworn officers on duty.
Sgt. Sherral Schmidt has led the POFM since early 2021, taking the reins from Lt. Bob Kroll, who retired from duty in January of that year.