District Judge Laura Thomas sets a January deadline for the city to eliminate its 93-officer staffing deficit—or face an April contempt-of-court trial.
A Hennepin County judge has issued a strict legal ultimatum to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Frey must staff the city’s police department to its charter-mandated minimum by January 4, 2027. Failure to comply will force the mayor into an April 26, 2027 trial for contempt of court.
The Alternative Writ of Mandamus issued by District Judge Laura Thomas strips away years of political maneuvering. The ruling stems from a petition filed in March 2026 by the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC) on behalf of four local residents and taxpayers. The court found that Frey has violated, and continues to violate, his clear duty under the city charter.
The Deficit by the Numbers
The Minneapolis City Charter dictates a strict mathematical floor for public safety. The city must employ at least 0.0017 statutory peace officers per resident. Based on current population data, that baseline translates to 731 sworn officers.
The city is operating far below that figure. Headcounts vary by agency, but all show a severe deficit:
| Source | Counted Sworn Officers | Deficit From Mandated 731 Floor |
| MN Board of Peace Officer Standards | 649 officers | 82 officers short |
| Minneapolis Internal City Data | 638 officers | 93 officers short |
The department has lost roughly 40 percent of its force since 2020. According to Fox 9 coverage, the city last met its legal requirement six years ago.
The Legal Precedent
This is not a new legal battle. The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled on this exact issue in 2022. The state’s highest court affirmed that the mayor holds an absolute duty to fund and staff the police force to the charter baseline.
For four years, the executive branch failed to meet that mandate. The new order establishes real accountability. As noted in the CBS Minnesota report, legal analysts call the decision extraordinary. Judges rarely set hard deadlines for executive operations. If the headcount is not met by January, Frey must prove to a court that he exhausted every possible option or face direct penalties.
“For the first time in four years, a judge said there will be consequences for the City of Minneapolis if it continues to violate the law.”
— Rachel Paulose, UMLC Managing Attorney
Institutional Headwinds and City Defense
The judicial order hits a police department already reeling from leadership instability. Former Police Chief Brian O’Hara resigned weeks ago following an investigation into his interference with a sexual misconduct probe. Interim Chief Bill Peterson currently leads the destabilized force while the city conducts a nationwide search for a permanent replacement.
Frey’s office declined media interviews. Instead, a spokesperson for the Office of Community Safety defended the administration via email. The city claims it has poured millions into recruitment. Starting salaries rose to $90,000. Applications are up 200 percent since 2023. The city claims it has hired 150 officers since early 2025.
According to the MPR News report, city officials argue that lawsuits do not strengthen a police department. They point to 30 recruits currently in the police academy as proof of progress.
The court ruled that these efforts are legally insufficient. Good intentions do not satisfy the charter. The law demands results, not marketing campaigns. Frey now faces a concrete choice: fill the ranks in six months or answer for criminal non-compliance from a witness stand.
Related: The Empty Seats at the Defense Table: Why City Council Belongs in the MPD Staffing Lawsuit
I think this lawsuit is not only appropriate, but needed in order for the City to adopt a sense of urgency that it has lacked for 6 years. The Charter does not *suggest* a force of 731. It *requires* it. The Mayor and his people may in fact be doing everything reasonable and in their power to get to 731, but they should have to prove that to some other authority, and the state courts work just fine for me. And far from being counter-productive, I think the prospect of having to do so may well “focus minds” on the task. Too many years ago already, at a public forum, I asked my then-Council Member (who was *then* regarded by folks as an ally of Mayor Frey) “What is the city’s plan, when, inevitably, we are sued for not being in compliance with the Charter?” Her answer, believe it or not, was “Good question! And, you know, we talk about that among ourselves all the time.” That was the whole answer. This suit is long overdue.
The focus on the number of police officers does not seem to me to be addressing public safety issues in a very meaningful way. If the response to the court order were to lower the standards in a way which resulted in more police of the type of racist, gun happy individuals which graced our police department before the George Floyd demonstrations, then public safety would not be served. My experience with the police department, which was quite extensive while I managed a small business in the city for a couple of decades, was that there were not nearly enough competent investigators on the force. Police arrived when called about a robbery, the laboratory took data, but then the investgators often dropped or fumbled the case (there were exceptions). The debate should be about the kind and quality of the police force and also about organization for maximum efficiency. It makes no sense to just focus on the total number of police officers.
Woods Halley
These are valid observations, but don’t reflect the actual direction of police reform in the city. We are not hiring more racist gun happy individuals. The Elefe reporting and other experts will confirm that we have been hiring more POC cops than ever before, we are hiring cops who grew up, live, or are willing to live in the city they will be serving. No headbangers need apply. We are hiring the kind of cops we want.
So what did the city council majority do when it became apparent we were succeeding in recruiting and hiring more cops, and the kind of cops we want? They did just what you would expect this anti-cop majority to do: they cut the recruitment budget.
💯
Recruitment is up, pay is higher than ever, and rebuilding from a 40% loss takes time (clearly more than 4 years). Why on earth would this lawsuit seek to punish positive movements toward rebuilding the police force? This lawsuit does more harm than good.
A piece from January…
Note what the current City Council President had to say about staffing levels. Not surprising that Payne consistently votes with the DSA/ Wonsley, anti police voting block. We know that Mpls once had almost 1 K officers.
https://minneapolistimes.com/mpd-staffing-crisis-takes-a-toll-slowed-911-response-and-plunging-clearance-rates/
Excerpts..
“That pushed us to 952 sworn, over the budget, but permitted by city council as long as the annual average was within budget. With resources, good strategy, and community support, we began a sustained 20 year reduction in crime.”
” I heard Council President Elliot Payne opine that he had studied the police calls for service, type and quantity, and he believed 275 officers would be sufficient.”
“Council President Elliot Payne…. believed 275 officers would be sufficient.” Wow, literally insane
Payne made that assertion in an interview with Terry White, of Better Mpls. It was in an interview in Oct leading up to the last city elections.
*Unfortunately, Ward 1 never did get a solid challenger to Payne.
https://www.betterminneapolis.com/p/interview-elliott-payne-mpls-city
Payne appears to fashion himself as quite “the expert” in all matters of policing and public safety.
So…since we had THREE separate shootings in Mpls JUST last night, and more this last week, maybe Payne could get out to do a bit of late night patrolling, ( on foot) with his fellow anti police folks on the city council…to help out a bit.
I may have a bit more practical, face to face, situation to situation experience than Payne, (ok, times a thousand) as a retired probation officer in juvenile, (residential, supervision, and then in investigations) and having run with some thuglets myself in my youth, so, and this is just a guess, ( an educated one) that Payne and his cohorts may not be that keen on getting OUT THERE, at all hours, trying to assist.