Minneapolis City Council to vote on new police contract containing historic raises
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council is expected to vote Thursday on new contracts for the city's police officers.
If passed, Minneapolis police could be some of the highest paid 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 would make more than $90,000 a year, which according to a study from Axios would put Minneapolis among the top three departments in the state behind Blaine and Maplewood.
It would also give management more flexibility in staffing in terms of shifts and locations based on the areas of the greatest need.
Promotions would be based on candidate readiness and not on a mandated percentage.
The department could hire more civilian employees to help with investigative and clerical work to keep officers on the streets.
Paid leave for officers under investigation would increase from 30 days to 180 days.
The city also negotiated a change to significantly reduce the time it takes to fill vacancies.
The City Council is scheduled to meet at 9:30 a.m.
This is a developing story. Stay with WCCO.com for more.
