Minneapolis City Council approves new police contract containing historic raises
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council has approved new contracts for the city's police officers with a vote of 8-4.
Minneapolis police will now see some of the highest salaries across Minnesota within a matter of years.
This is all to boost the department's number of officers. Police Chief Brian O'Hara says the department is down about 40% than what would be considered normal.
The contract includes a 21.7% raise over three years. Rookie officers will make more than $90,000 a year, which according to a study from Axios puts Minneapolis among the top three departments in the state behind Blaine and Maplewood.
It also gives management more flexibility in staffing in terms of shifts and locations based on the areas of the greatest need.
Promotions will be based on candidate readiness and not on a mandated percentage.
The department can also hire more civilian employees to help with investigative and clerical work to keep officers on the streets.
Paid leave for officers under investigation will increase from 30 days to 180 days.
The city also negotiated a change to significantly reduce the time it takes to fill vacancies.
City Council President Elliott Payne, Vice President Aisha Chughtai and other council members will hold a news conference about the contract after the meeting. WCCO will carry that live.
This is a developing story. Stay with WCCO.com for more.