Tentative Contract Would Give Minneapolis Officers Raise

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minneapolis police officers would get raises and payments totaling $7,000 under a tentative contract agreement that also includes some provisions related to discipline, though details on that were not immediately outlined.

Calls to change the contract to give city leaders more authority to fire problem police officers grew after the May 2020 killing of George Floyd. The tentative contract comes months after voters rejected a proposal to replace the existing police department with a new public safety agency.

The tentative agreement still needs City Council approval. Mayor Jacob Frey has reviewed a summary of the new contract “and recommends these terms for approval,” according to a note attached to the City Council agenda. Frey has said that officers “need to be paid more and fired more,” the Star Tribune reported.

The council’s Policy and Government Oversight Committee is expected to discuss the contract on Monday.

Full details of the contract were not released. But according to a summary, officers would get a 1% pay raise for 2020, a 1.5% raise for 2021, and a 2.5% increase for 2022.

It also calls for “incentive” payments for new and current officers. New hires would receive $3,500 after field training and another $3,500 after they finish their probationary period. Current officers would receive $3,500 after the contract is approved and $3,500 more if they “remain on duty” until at least Dec. 31.

The city’s latest job postings say cadets start at $21.46 per hour; officers coming from other departments could receive between $31.45 and $40.74 hourly.

The agreement would require officers to receive mental health screenings before returning to work after a “critical incident” in which they are seriously harmed or seriously harm or kill someone. It gives the chief more authority to determine where to place an officer after such an incident.

The summary also says the agreement includes “clarification of discipline language for personnel with rights to return to the bargaining unit,” but provides no details.

If approved, the agreement would cover 2020 through 2022. New negotiations would be needed for 2023.

Minneapolis has about 544 officers on staff — about 300 fewer than before Floyd’s killing.