MINNEAPOLIS – The post-George Floyd shortage of police in Minneapolis has reached a crisis. Consider these numbers:
> Officers on staff: 560.
> Mandated by city charter: 731,
> Authorized strength: 888.
The department lost waves of officers who chose early retirement and career changes in the demoralization after the police killing of Floyd in 2020 and the following race riots. Mayor Jacob Frey has pushed to raise the force to 800 by 2025. But recruiting isn’t working. The city’s police academy has space for 40 recruits a month. The graduating class in September class had six. So far this year only 57 people applied, down from 292 the year before the killing of George Floyd.