In the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020, Minneapolis launched an ambitious push for police reform. With millions of dollars invested in new training programs and community initiatives, the city sought to rebuild trust between law enforcement and residents. However, four years later, some community members feel the changes have fallen short of expectations, and that true reform remains an elusive goal.
One of the central figures in these efforts is Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who took on the role in 2022. He describes the challenge of leading the department through its transformation, acknowledging that while progress has been made, much more is needed. O’Hara has focused on changing the department’s culture, emphasizing community engagement over militaristic tactics. He has made a point of personally connecting with the community by attending ride-alongs and meeting with local leaders to better understand their concerns.
“I naively thought that this was a place ready for change, and it just wasn’t,” O’Hara admitted. “But slowly, we began to make changes incrementally to align the agency’s culture with the values of the community.”
In the years since Floyd’s murder, the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) has invested over $2.5 million in recruitment and training programs aimed at reducing police violence and improving officer conduct. These efforts include a comprehensive review of police practices, such as the 2020 ban on chokeholds and other controversial restraint methods.
Despite these efforts, some community members like Sayge Caroll, who runs a pottery workshop funded by a reallocation of the police budget, remain deeply skeptical about the impact of these changes. Caroll believes that while funds have been redirected into community programs, the underlying issues of systemic racism and mistrust have not been sufficiently addressed.
“I don’t know that it’s going to get better, and I don’t really think that it will in my lifetime,” Caroll said. “The systems are still broken.”
Michelle Phelps, a sociology professor at the University of Minnesota, agrees that Minneapolis’ police reform efforts reflect both the promise and the persistent failures of liberal reform policies. While she acknowledges the city’s innovative steps toward reducing police-community interactions—such as expanding non-armed responders in crisis situations—she also cautions that these reforms have not fully transformed the culture of policing.
“There have been a number of innovations, like bringing in responders who aren’t armed with a gun and trained to use violence. But, it’s a work in progress,” Phelps noted.
One such initiative is led by Muhammad Abdul-Ahad, the executive director of Touch Outreach, a community organization focused on conflict de-escalation. Abdul-Ahad and his team work to mediate disputes before police intervention is needed, and he has observed an improvement in trust between his organization and the MPD since O’Hara’s appointment.
“Police are more responsive, but our work is more preventative,” Abdul-Ahad explained. “Trust is much better since Chief O’Hara has come on board.”
However, as Minneapolis continues to reckon with the legacy of George Floyd’s death, Caroll’s outlook remains uncertain. “We’re going to get through whether or not the systems start to work for us,” she said, reflecting the ongoing struggle to heal and rebuild in the city.
As the city moves forward with its reform efforts, the road to rebuilding trust between the police and the communities they serve remains long and complex. The Minneapolis Police Department is committed to transforming its practices, but only time will tell whether these efforts will truly foster a safer, more just environment for all.