Item Description:
title
Direct County Administration, in collaboration with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, to explore, discuss and negotiate a Law Enforcement Services Agreement with the City of Minneapolis for reimbursement of County-provided law enforcement and related services- offered by Commissioner Lunde
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WHEREAS, local governments across Minnesota face shared challenges in delivering essential services, including fiscal constraints, rising service demands, workforce capacity, aging or insufficient infrastructure and uneven technology investments; and
WHEREAS, property taxes remain the primary source of local revenue for counties and cities, creating tension between maintaining essential services and ensuring affordability for residents and businesses; and
WHEREAS, it is essential for local governments to evaluate service models that can generate cost savings, improve efficiency, eliminate redundant service delivery and leverage overlapping responsibilities and shared missions; and
WHEREAS, counties and cities face significant fiscal constraints and operational challenges due to the limited availability of licensed officers, placing substantial strain on the provision of law enforcement services; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 436 authorizes cities to provide law enforcement services through municipal police departments, joint police departments, or contracts for police services with other governmental entities, including county sheriffs; and
WHEREAS, Hennepin County has an established history of law enforcement collaborations formalized through Joint Powers Agreements and other shared-service arrangements; and
WHEREAS, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) currently provides patrol services for the Cities of Greenfield, Hanover, Medicine Lake and Rockford on a contract basis; and
WHEREAS, since 2023, HCSO has provided contracted law enforcement and related services to the City of Golden Valley after its municipal police department experienced a shortage of licensed peace officers; and
WHEREAS, despite a recent increase in recruitment applications, the City of Minneapolis’ municipal police department, MPD, remains understaffed and below the City Charter requirement of 731 officers, requiring the department to rely on HCSO deputies to help maintain public safety in Minneapolis; and
WHEREAS, the HCSO does not have patrol routes in the city of Minneapolis, however, based on community feedback and arrest data, HCSO deputies working on task forces and other details are spending more time working in the City of Minneapolis than they were several years ago; and,
WHEREAS, MPD and HCSO face fiscal constraints due to costly officer overtime expenses; and
WHEREAS, Hennepin County is well positioned to formalize a data-driven partnership with the City of Minneapolis to address current fiscal and operational pressures, maximize resources, secure reimbursements, and reduce costs; and
WHEREAS, strong oversight is necessary to ensure Hennepin County can fund essential services, manage public resources responsibly, and provide effective law enforcement responsive to residents’ changing needs.
Resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners directs the County Administrator to collaborate with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office to:
- determine the true cost of current law enforcement support from HCSO to the City of Minneapolis;
- determine the amount of HCSO overtime spent in Minneapolis year-to-date;
- explore with the City of Minneapolis the feasibility of a Joint Powers Agreement or shared-services arrangement for reimbursement of County-provided law enforcement and related services in the City of Minneapolis; and
- define and analyze the exact scope of services, including purpose, duration, responsibilities of the parties, and rates for services.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Administrator is directed to report on the analysis, findings and proposed recommendations to the County Board by March 31, 2027.
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval