Report identifies areas to reform MPD officer training program

Monday, Minneapolis city officials and Minneapolis Police leaders presented the findings of a report identifying several areas to reform and improve the field training officer program and processes within MPD.

The audit identified four main issues: field training officer staffing and structure, communication and information flow within the field training officer program, field training officer selection and oversight process and enhancement to the officers-in-training evaluation process.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he’s committed to including funding for changes to MPD’s field training officer program in his 2022 budget proposal.

"Minneapolis has a historic opportunity to create a more just police department and equitable community safety system," Frey said. "Realizing that opportunity will require getting the right officers into the department — and ensuring every facet of their introduction to the department is rooted in procedural justice and our core value to serve the community with integrity. Developing higher standards and offering incentives for those who serve as Field Training Officers while adding accountability measures to the program will move Minneapolis in the right direction."

City Council Member Linea Palmisano also commended the work of the city’s audit department on the report.

"Today’s report offers a path forward for ensuring influential Field Training Officer roles are staffed by officers who embody core community values," Palmisano said. "Additional layers of accountability and specialized training will help support officers stepping into these important positions and further bolster our commitment to creating meaningful change within the Minneapolis Police Department."

Minneapolis Police Deputy Chief Amelia Huffman added, "Our Field Training Program is a focal point in our work to serve the community immediately and in the long-term. By examining where there’s room for improvement and acting on those findings, we can take a meaningful step forward to building trust in the midst of a major push to bring new officers into the MPD."

Click here to see the full report presented to the audit committee.