In 2022, Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officers reported using physical force against suspects over 1,000 times, making it one of the highest per-capita rates in the U.S., according to data from Mapping Police Violence. This rate has remained unchanged since 2020, the year George Floyd was killed by MPD officers. Similarly, the force used by St. Paul police doubled between 2018 and 2022, surpassing MPD's per-capita rate, ranking both cities third and fourth nationally for police force frequency.
St. Paul police stated they are "committed to de-escalation whenever possible." The data examined physical techniques such as punches, restraints, and weapon use, including firearms, Tasers, and chemical sprays. Variations in how departments report force led researchers to adjust the data for accurate comparisons.
On a national scale, police use force around 300,000 times annually, with a third of incidents resulting in injuries and 80% of the suspects being unarmed. The report highlights that most of those targeted by the police force had not committed violent crimes, stating, "The vast majority of people who police use force against were not alleged to be involved in any violent crime."
A 2023 Department of Justice report found that MPD officers violated civil rights by using excessive force, including deadly force and Tasers, often against suspects of minor offenses or non-criminals. The report noted that officers used force unnecessarily, sometimes punishing individuals for making them angry. Furthermore, MPD's use of batons surged from 10 incidents in 2019 to 78 in 2021, and Taser usage rose from 78 incidents in 2020 to 108 in 2022.
The data also revealed racial disparities, with Black individuals being subjected to force eight times more frequently than white people. St. Cloud, a smaller city, saw even higher rates of force per capita, though it wasn't included in the rankings due to its population size.
Link: Minnesota Former