Five years after the murder of George Floyd by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, the city continues to confront the urgent need for police reform that his death ignited.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara, appointed in November 2022, two years after Floyd’s death, has emphasized his commitment to implementing internal changes aimed at improving public safety and fostering more positive interactions between the police department and the Minneapolis community.
Despite these efforts, Chief O’Hara acknowledges that Floyd’s death remains a significant “open wound” for the city. While police data indicates a decline in shootings, Minneapolis stands out as one of the few major cities where violent crime rates have not significantly improved since 2020, according to an analysis of the Major Cities Chiefs Association’s violent crime report. O’Hara stated that crime in the city experienced a “skyrocketed” increase following Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests, coinciding with a reduction in the size of the police force. “People have a very, very basic need to feel safe, and that has been taken away for a lot of people because of everything that’s happened since,” O’Hara noted.
The Minneapolis Police Department continues to face challenges stemming from an officer shortage. In 2024, Chief O’Hara informed CBS News that the department was approximately 200 officers short of its full capacity. He highlighted the critical impact of this shortage, particularly on homicide investigations, emphasizing the “real urgency of the problem.”
Nevertheless, Chief O’Hara remains determined to effect positive change within the department using available resources. His focus has been on “getting back to the basics” of policing, ensuring that all departmental activities are centered on both reducing crime and building trust with the community. O’Hara has also been working to “restore some pride in this profession” in an effort to attract more individuals to law enforcement and to foster a cultural shift within the department. These efforts include adjustments to arrest tactics, as well as enhanced community engagement and officer training initiatives. “In my experience, the people who are here today are dramatically different from the impression that I had of this department in 2020,” O’Hara commented.
Earlier this week, the Justice Department announced the conclusion of investigations into six police agencies, including the cancellation of proposed consent decrees for Louisville and Minneapolis. Despite the lack of federal oversight, Chief O’Hara affirmed that reform efforts in Minneapolis will continue. The Minneapolis City Council had approved the consent decree in January.
Omar Mohammed, a resident of Minneapolis, shared his observations with “CBS Saturday Morning,” expressing his positive impression of the changes he has witnessed in recent years. “The new chief did a great, great job, because what I see now is, before, police used to pull over everybody, the kids on the street, they used to use a lot of difficult stuff, you know?” Mohammed said. “A lot of big things changed, that’s what I see.”
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