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Minneapolis blowing past police overtime budget, taxpayers may foot bill
Minneapolis is on track to exceed its police overtime budget for another year, with more than $20 million spent annually since 202. Mayor Jacob Frey says overtime is necessary due to a smaller police force, and a tax increase may be considered to cover the gap. FOX 9's Corin Hoggard has the story.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis leaders are facing another year of soaring police overtime costs, raising questions about the city’s budget and the potential impact on residents.
Police overtime remains high as force shrinks
What we know:
Minneapolis has lost more than 200 sworn officers since 2020, leaving the city with a much smaller police force than before.
Mayor Jacob Frey said, "These are really not optional decisions when you get down to the nuts and bolts of it. If we don't approve these overtime hours, we're not able to do the basic work that the city demands."
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Mayor Frey address high cost of MPD overtime
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey addressed the ballooning cost of overtime in the Minneapolis Police Department, saying a shortage of over 200 officers is driving the costs. FOX 9's Corin Hoggard has the details.
Police leaders say they need about 120,000 hours of police time every month to keep up with patrols and investigations.
Assistant Chief Mark Klukow said, "And we get there in the way that we need to get there using the regular duty hours of the personnel and then adding supplemental hours through overtime."
At the previous staffing level of 888 officers, that means 135 hours per officer. With the current budget for 731 officers, it would be 164 hours each.
But with only about 654 officers actually on the force, each officer has to average 183 hours to meet the total, making overtime more or less unavoidable.
The city has spent more than $20 million a year on overtime since 2022, but only budgeted about $2.5 million for it this year. March projections estimated the total would be closer to $25 million.
City budget strains and possible tax hike
Why you should care:
Last year, police overtime spending pushed the entire department budget out of balance, which could mean a higher tax burden for Minneapolis residents.
When asked what the argument would be for the city to not just budget for at least $20 million in overtime, Mayor Frey said, "It's not a great argument is the answer."
But Frey and some of his team say the overtime overages disguise some actual savings.
"We calculated that getting back to that 888 [officers] number would cost about $25 million more. So, as you can see, that exceeds the $22-$23 million projected spend and overtime for the current year," said deputy chief finance officer Jayne Discenza.
In previous years, the city made up for overtime costs with savings from vacant positions, but last year’s overspending caught up with them, especially as they started recruiting and training more officers to fill the vacancies.
As the mayor prepares to present a new budget proposal next week, he says a tax increase is one option for closing the gap.
Councilmembers have not yet seen any proposals and declined to comment.
The city expects overtime during large emergencies, like the Annunciation mass shooting, but in recent years, overtime has become standard practice to keep up with basic needs.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear what specific budget proposal Mayor Frey will present or how much of a tax increase could be considered. Council members have not commented on the proposals.