New ordinance may levy fee for off-duty Minneapolis police officers
MINNEAPOLIS — The City of Minneapolis is making moves to charge fees for off-duty police work.
According to a 2019 audit, 71% of officers worked one or more off-duty shifts.
"Repeatedly asked why the city was allowing officers to pick up off duty while simultaneously pointing to staffing challenges as a reason to why residents were not getting follow up on issues like burglary or other police response," said Minneapolis City Councilmember Robin Wonsley.
The U.S. Department of Justice agreed and put concern about off-duty work in the consent decree approved by the City Council.
"I'm glad that the DOJ consent decree also helps to reaffirm what many of our constituents had shared with us for years around their concerns about the off-duty program and the perception that it was encouraging the pay-to-play dynamic within our police department," said Wonsley.
The city hopes to recoup the cost of wear and tear on city resources, like squads, weapons and uniforms. But there are concerns.
"Do we have any data on what this proposed ordinance will do for the use of off-duty help, you know, when they are off-duty officers on duty they also answer emergency calls and are an asset to public safety," said Minneapolis City Councilmember Michael Rainville.
Some believe the city does not have the jurisdiction to levy such fees, according to the terms of a 1997 agreement with the police federation.
"We are asking MPD to give us a comprehensive analysis on what fees they can collect," said Wonsley.
The Minneapolis Public Health and Safety Committee approved the ordinance on Wednesday. The full City Council is set to vote on Monday.
WCCO reached out to Minneapolis police and have not heard back.
