The Minneapolis Police Department is kicking off Operation Safe Summer for a third year in an effort to address crime hotspots and keep criminals off the streets.

MPD Chief Brian O’Hara said the operation was supposed to launch at the beginning of the summer, but they paused plans after the death of Officer Jamal Mitchell on May 30.

“Because we know our community is desperately in need to see visible police response to some of the violence that’s been going on,” said O’Hara.

Wednesday’s update comes after a violent weekend involving multiple shootings, as well as a stabbing, that resulted in three homicide investigations.

RELATED: MPD chief condemns violent weekend in Minneapolis; 3 homicides since Saturday

Just within the first two days of this operation, MPD said there have been about 40 arrests and 13 firearms taken off the streets.

MPD said during the one-week crackdown in 2022, law enforcement recovered 38 guns and made 97 arrests. In 2023, there were 38 guns confiscated and 100 arrests. 

Bishop Richard Howell, at Shiloh Temple on the city’s north side, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he believes Operation Safe Summer has worked.

“And, if you visit those hot spots that were once present, there’s nothing going on. Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” said Howell. “And, I think that’s because of what the violence interrupters did.”

Lisa Clemons, with A Mother’s Love, told KSTP she sees it a little differently.

“The numbers might show improvement but the trauma is still here every day,” said Clemons. “It’s a different lens for those who are living through the gun shots and violence. Much more needs to be done.”

Residents said it’s good news the operation is back, but more needs to be done to make the community safer.

“It was nice. It was safe,” Sheri Barnett, a north Minneapolis native, said.

Barnett sees north Minneapolis through a different lens. When she grew up near Bethune Park decades ago, crime was not a concern, but what she sees now is much different.

“Personally, it feels scary,” Barnett said. “One of my sons was on his electric scooter and he was riding a few blocks over and someone tried to mug him.”

“We know our community is desperately in need to see visible police response to some of the violence that’s been going on,” O’Hara said. “It’s so important that as we do police in these areas that it is done in a way that helps to earn people’s trust because we absolutely need the community on our side if we want to have any hope of having success, greater than just this week.”

During Operation Safe Summer, county, state and federal officials are teaming up with MPD to target crime hotspots.

It allows them to arrest violent offenders and get their illegal drugs and guns off the streets.

“The message to the perpetrators of some of these violent gun crimes is very clear. You will get caught. You will be held responsible,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said. “We do not tolerate gunfire in our communities. Everyone should have the ability to walk out to the sidewalk and feel safe.”

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is offering help with identifying criminals by speeding up the way they process evidence like firearms.

“It connects these cases more quickly and identify shooters and those individuals and much more quickly than we ever had before,” Drew Evans, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent, said.

Barnett explained more needs to be done to make the north side safer like how she remembers it growing up.

“I wish that they would step it up,” Barnett said. “I want to see them do more, but unfortunately, it’s kind of a double-edged sword when the police are involved because you don’t want anything bad to happen to someone that’s not doing anything wrong.”

Operation Safe Summer lasts through the end of the week.