Minneapolis City Council approves new police contract containing historic raises

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council has approved new contracts for the city's police officers with a vote of 8-4.

Minneapolis police will now see some of the highest salaries across Minnesota within a matter of years.

The four council members who voted against approval were Jason Chavez (Ward 9), Aisha Chughtai (Ward 10), Jeremiah Ellison (Ward 5) and Robin Wonsley (Ward 2). Jamal Osman (Ward 6) was not present for the vote.

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 will make more than $90,000 a year, which according to a study from Axios puts Minneapolis among the top three departments in the state behind Blaine and Maplewood.

It also gives management more flexibility in staffing in terms of shifts and locations based on the areas of the greatest need.

Promotions will be based on candidate readiness and not on a mandated percentage.

The department can also hire more civilian employees to help with investigative and clerical work to keep officers on the streets.

Paid leave for officers under investigation will increase from 30 days to 180 days. The city also negotiated a change to significantly reduce the time it takes to fill vacancies.

Following the vote, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O'Hara released a statement and also held a news conference in support of the approval.

"This contract provides the path forward we need," Frey said in a statement. "After more than nine months of tireless negotiations, we have a police contract that will properly compensate our officers for the hard work they do while paving the way to implement long-awaited reforms. This is a good contract, and it was the result of impressive collaboration—incorporating input from community members, police officers and MPD leadership alike."

O'Hara also celebrated the vote.

"I am pleased with the City Council's approval of the contract," O'Hara said. "It sends a strong message to our officers that city leadership supports good policing and the veteran officers who have been loyal in their service to our residents. Despite their dedication, many of our officers have not felt supported in recent years, and I'm confident the historic pay increase will help us recruit and retain the best in our ranks as we continue to rebuild the Minneapolis Police Department into one of the premier law enforcement agencies in our country."

City Council President Elliott Payne, Vice President Aisha Chughtai and other council members will hold a separate news conference about the contract after the meeting.

This is a developing story. Stay with WCCO.com for more.