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Minneapolis City Council approves off-duty work fees for police

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MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a new ordinance that would allow the city to charge fees for off-duty police work.

A 2019 city audit revealed that 71% of city officers worked one or more off-duty shifts, with 8% saying they worked more than 64 hours in a single week at least five times in a year. 

The off-duty program allows officers to work shifts while using city cars, weapons and uniforms. The ordinance now allows the city to recoup the wear-and-tear costs on city resources.

An analysis determined that a $19/hour fee for using a squad car would be consistent with vehicle costs, which in 2024 could have allowed the city to reclaim $1.4 million. 

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice scrutinized the overtime policy in a report, saying it "undermines supervision." Patrol officers, for example, can control whether supervisors get off-duty employment opportunities, which disincentivizes them from holding officers accountable, the report says. 

"Residents and experts have been saying for decades that MPD's off-duty system is ripe for corruption and a bad deal for residents, yet up until now there has been a lack of political will by city leadership to implement significant regulations," said City Councilmember Robin Wonsley, who authored the ordinance. 

Private security pays significantly more than department overtime — at rates between $150 and $175 an hour — while the city "gets nothing," the DOJ report said.

"Taxpayers shouldn't be asked to subsidize private side jobs for police or any city employee," said Council President Elliott Payne. "I'm proud that after nearly 30 years of inaction by city leadership, this Council has brought significant accountability and fiscal transparency to what has always been a system ripe for abuse."

Wonsley and Payne authored a legislative directive requesting a comprehensive fee study, according to a release. MPD will report the outcomes of the study by May 1.

"Chief O'Hara supports the City of Minneapolis having the ability to recover costs for the wear and tear on city property resulting from non-city contractual work performed by city employees," said Sgt. Garrett Parten, public information officer with Minneapolis police. "The specific methods for collecting these fees and determining payment responsibility are still under consideration."

Other cities in Minnesota have fees associated with off-duty work; St. Paul docks $20 from officers' paychecks if they use their squads for off-duty work.

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