It’s time to recognize the reality on the ground: the MPD of 2026 has earned the trust we’ve been waiting for since 2020.
For six years, the Minneapolis Police Department has lived under a shadow of doubt. Since the murder of George Floyd, the city has debated whether a police force can truly change its DNA, shifting from a culture of “warrior” policing to one of constitutional service. During the chaos of the recent federal “Operation Metro Surge”—a period marked by uncoordinated federal raids and rising community fear—we finally got our answer. While thousands of masked federal agents descended on our streets with “questionable methods” that local leaders correctly slammed as being more for a show of cameras than for safety, the MPD became the unexpected “adult in the room.”
Under the textbook leadership of Chief Brian O’Hara, the department didn’t just survive this crisis; they mastered it. While the federal government surged armed men instead of the forensic resources the city actually needed, the MPD remained a testament to how community and law enforcement can work together. Most importantly, there was never a moment of doubt regarding the Minneapolis Separation Ordinance. Even as federal pressure mounted, O’Hara’s troops stood firm, proving that you can reduce violence—including a 35 percent drop in gunshot victims—without sacrificing the legal and ethical boundaries of the city. The MPD of 2026 isn’t just reformed on paper; it is a department that has finally earned its 180-degree turnaround in the heat of battle.
The Invisible Shield: Balancing Peace Amidst the Chaos
The true measure of a police department’s maturity isn’t found in a press release; it is found on the front lines of a crisis. During the height of the immigration operation, the MPD was tasked with a near-impossible balancing act: protecting the constitutional rights of thousands of protesters while simultaneously ensuring that the very federal agents whose presence they opposed remained safe from harm. In a city still scarred by the memories of 2020, this was a powder keg waiting for a spark.
Yet, that spark never came from the MPD.
While the federal “Metro Surge” was defined by uncoordinated raids and methods that drew the ire of local leaders, the MPD operated with a level of restraint that was as effective as it was quiet. Despite the massive scale of the protests and the high-tension interactions between federal agents and community members, there was an almost total absence of formal complaints, or even complaints to the mainstream press, against Minneapolis officers.
This isn’t a coincidence; it is the result of a profound culture change. By prioritizing de-escalation and constitutional policing, the MPD acted as a buffer between a frustrated public and a clumsy federal apparatus. They managed unprecedented operational demands without resorting to the heavy-handed tactics that defined the department’s past. In 2020, the MPD was often the story; in 2026, by keeping both the protesters and the federal agents safe without a single major incident of misconduct, they proved that professional policing means knowing when to hold the line and when to step back.
The New Standard for Minneapolis
The transformation of the Minneapolis Police Department is no longer a matter of debate or a hopeful projection; it is a documented reality. By navigating the “Metro Surge” with such precision, Chief O’Hara and his officers have set a new standard for what it means to lead a modern, urban police force. They managed to maintain the peace on our streets without violating the peace of our residents, upholding the Minneapolis Separation Ordinance even when the federal government seemed intent on ignoring it.
As a city, we must now match the department’s commitment with our own. It is time for the City Council to move past the rhetoric of the past and recognize that the MPD has become the professional, constitutional agency we demanded in 2020. This 180-degree turn was achieved under the most grueling conditions imaginable. If our officers can handle a federal surge with flying colors and zero major complaints, they have earned not just our respect, but our continued investment in the future of constitutional policing. The rebuilding of Minneapolis depends on a department that values the law over politics—and during the surge, the MPD proved they are exactly that department.
In 2020 and before the Mpls Police Department had a horrible reputation. In my opinion their reputation right now is rather good, despite being under manned. To me this is quite a significant turn around and O’Hara deserves a lot of credit
I personally saw a dozen police cars/vans filled out with riot police armed to the gills to dismantle a peaceful, non violent roundabout/barricade put up by maybe a dozen neighbors in south minneapolis. Is this the “restraint and professionalism” that you saw the MPD exhibiting in relation to the citizens it’s supposed to protect?
George Floyd died from a drug overdose.
Thank you and the commenters for your perspectives on the MPD and their evolution. I really appreciate the MPD and Chief O’Hara and believe they are doing the best they can under very difficult circumstances.
As reported December 5, 2025, by MS Now, ‘Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara issued a stern warning to his officers on Thursday: Intervene when you see Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents using unlawful force or lose your job.’
Two things made this difficult: 1) “It is against federal law for local officers to interfere with ICE operations. Under federal statutes, specifically 18 U.S.C. § 1501, it is a crime to obstruct, resist, or impede federal officers while they are performing their duties. This includes actions against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents…… Local law enforcement agencies may have some discretion in how they interact with ICE, but any direct interference could lead to legal consequences under federal law.”
2) Staffing shortages: ICE Outnumbered MPD 5 to 1. A number of Saturdays ago, Crime Watch MPLS Reported that only ONE officer showed up for the Day shift at the 2nd Precinct on Central NE. On a few other days they also reported how low the number of officers that were on duty and how many OT shifts were available but not volunteered for. You hear of more MPD officers going on disability leave.
I appreciate the fact that MPD was not impulsive and reactionary during Operation Metro Surge, causing the problems of the past. They cannot be everywhere and especially when they are shorthanded. What I found on the city website is we are still below the City Charter requirements about 130+ officers. All factors need to be considered when evaluating their performance: the potential for liability when interfering with ICE, the Separation Ordinance confusion, and short staffing. I feared a shootout between MPD and the poorly trained and seemingly unaccountable ICE agents. And then the President would possibly invoke the Insurrection Act. I think they have done the best they can under very difficult circumstances. We need to give MPD the tools to continue on a positive trajectory to build on what they have accomplished so far. Let’s support them and increase staffing so they continue to be a stable force when things get back to normal.
Thank you for that comment.
I do recall hearing from some within the MPD, during one community meeting, that about mid way into the surge/seige, that due to so many, high effective, organized observers, that ICE and CBP seemed to have changed up their strategies some, so they were moving and getting in and out of situations VERY FAST, such that by the time the MPD would get calls, ICE/CBP would have moved on to their next targets.
I always find it interesting though that the ANTI cop group, and that means ANY cop and in ANY city, these people that work to advance severely limiting the presence of police officers… everywhere, they, even with staffing shortages still in play for Mpls and the MPD, ( and with the MPD being out manned by ICE/CBP, by maybe as much as 6 times) this SAME group now wanted our MPD officers to be much MORE present, out on every corner, if/ when ICE showed up.
These people, even a few on our own City Council, that are always looking for an opportunity to try to attack the MPD and OUR employees working in public safety. Really, all of it, quite shameful.
David, I think there is a need for more nuance in assessing the MPD during this episode. I appreciate that you are impressed that the MPD did not make much of anything worse. But that is not the same as doing a good job.
I was in a “Town Hall” style meeting last Tuesday night, and it was apparent from audience questions and comments that there were many people in the room who felt that the MPD had not even remotely “done their jobs”. Which those critics seem to have defined as “keeping us safe”. (Those exact words were bitterly used.) This is where the nuance is needed. I agree with these critics that at least a large portion of the job of the MPD is to “keep us safe”. And I agree that the MPD absolutely did not do that job. Where I part with the critics in that room is that it was very apparent that they felt the MPD did not “keep us safe” because they are BAD at their job, whereas I feel that they were told by “We The People” via the Separation Ordinance, and its several clarifications and re-interpretations since passage, NOT to DO what I regard as their job; at least not if it involved in any way making it even LOOK like anything was being made easier for ICE. The MPD did, in fact, an excellent job of staying out of the way. Was the MPD in the vicinity of either deadly shooting of a civilian protester? No. They were not. In spite of the fact that activities at both times/locations were of the sort that call out NORMALLY for crowd control. The difference between me and those critics at the meeting is that I feel it is unfair to criticize MPD for following the rules of engagement WE GAVE THEM, and not somehow being miraculously capable of divining precisely when to violate those rules in the service of public safety.
And the difference between me and you, David, is that I also think that the MPD demonstrating that it could follow those regrettable rules of engagement faithfully proves nothing about how they will perform if we ever succeed in returning to “normal policing”. I hope they can and will perform well under trying circumstances in situations where the Separation Ordinance does not apply, and I believe that Chief O’Hara has them headed in all the right directions. But that is something they have not yet proved.
Thank you for this much needed piece. I so appreciate the MPD and our Police Chief O’Hara, as the department continues to show Mpls, and those all around the country, who they are, as they provide that example for so many other places too.
Now…we just need to demonstrate our appreciation and concern for our employees working in public safety, AND the 26 neighborhoods that the 3rd Precinct serves, by making a commitment to have the 3rd move into the S Mpls Community Safety Center at 2633 Minnehaha Ave by this fall.