From my experience leading the same work in Newark, N.J., I knew that the national conversation about policing was framed as a false dichotomy: either “unleash the cops” to address crime or embrace “reform” in the name of social justice. In fact, the only way forward is to simultaneously do both.
Unlike Newark, Minneapolis had not been known for high levels of serious crime. The murder of George Floyd, coupled with the social disruptions of the pandemic, changed that. The city saw an explosion of violence, including the burning of a police precinct. In just one year, more than 650 people were shot — three times the pre-pandemic average. A sense of fear and lawlessness gripped neighborhoods that had previously felt secure.
Yet even as crime spiked, public trust in police remained at historic lows. In a department typically staffed with about 900 officers, the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) had lost more than 500, leaving fewer resources to address a lot more crime. At the same time there was a need to implement reforms and restore faith in our institution.
Policing had to change. But simply dismantling existing institutions without a clear plan for what would replace them, as some advocated, was not the answer. Like Newark, Minneapolis is proving that it is possible to rebuild public trust while taking decisive action to combat crime.
You can’t have public safety without the public, and MPD’s approach to policing embraces community in meaningful ways. We’ve held dozens of town hall meetings and are posting draft policy changes online to gather community input as we revise policy and training.
We also embrace community violence intervention. When large groups of young people began congregating downtown at night, for example, we worked with the community to establish a curfew task force. Instead of resorting to mass arrests, outreach teams engaged with youth, connected them with services and worked alongside officers to de-escalate tensions. This collaborative approach was effective at addressing that problem.
But legitimacy in policing is not just about crime reduction — it’s about how police interact with the public. Minneapolis has implemented procedural justice training to ensure that officers treat residents with respect, explain their actions and make decisions fairly, and we conduct random compliance checks, providing real-time feedback and corrections when necessary.
We have also committed to greater transparency. MPD now publishes officer conduct data, including complaints and use-of-force reports, to ensure public accountability.
Studies have shown that when people believe police act fairly, they are more likely to comply with the law and cooperate with investigations. This is why restoring trust is essential not just for reform but for effective crime prevention. Both of these are key elements of our state consent decree as well as a potential consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.
One of the mistakes of past policing models was the reliance on broad, aggressive enforcement strategies that disproportionately affected marginalized communities. Instead, we are implementing a precision policing model, focusing enforcement efforts on the small number of individuals and locations driving most violent crime.
Using risk terrain modeling and other data-driven tools, we have identified such high-risk areas. This allows us to deploy resources strategically rather than flooding entire neighborhoods with officers. At the same time, we are working with embedded social workers, crime prevention specialists, community navigators and crisis responders to address the root causes of crime — such as mental health issues, substance abuse and environmental factors — without defaulting to arrests as the primary, or only, solution.
Minneapolis is still in the early stages of its transformation, and the work is far from complete. But early signs suggest that our approach is making a difference. Violent crime is beginning to decline, and community satisfaction with the MPD is improving significantly.
The lesson for other cities is clear: Public safety and police reform are not opposing goals. A modern approach to policing must be rooted in transparency, community collaboration and evidence-based crime reduction strategies. State and local leaders should reject the extremes of punitive crackdowns or law enforcement disengagement and instead focus on practical solutions that balance safety with justice.
Brian A. O’Hara was appointed chief of police of Minneapolis in November 2022. Previously, he served as director of public safety and deputy mayor in Newark, N.J., where he began his law enforcement career in 2001 as a patrol officer.
Governing’s opinion columns reflect the views of their authors and not necessarily those of Governing’s editors or management.
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