Minneapolis Averaging More Than a Carjacking Per Day in 2021

Minneapolis homicides, shootings and carjackings have all soared in 2021, Minneapolis Police said Thursday as City Council members splinter over how to respond.

The city has seen a 222 percent increase in carjackings this year compared with this point in 2020, averaging 1.27 incidents per day, according to police data. Homicides are up 108 percent from a year earlier, while shootings have risen 153 percent.

The surge in violent crime comes as Minneapolis Police lost more than 200 officers over the past year since the police killing of George Floyd and the riots that followed. The agency is now asking outside departments for help investigating gun crimes, Commander Jason Case said.

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Earlier this week, Gov. Tim Walz said he would not permanently station Minnesota State Patrol troopers on city streets. Troopers have been deployed to the city repeatedly over the past year, most recently during Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.

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The city has experienced a 130 percent increase in the number of guns stolen from vehicles, he said.

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The violence reached a new level this month with the shootings of three children, including the death of a 6-year-old girl this week.

Frey and council members are divided over what to do next. This week, Frey released a four-point plan that included additional funding for police and some new restrictions on police tactics, including traffic stops for minor equipment violations.

Several council members immediately opposed the mayor’s plan, leaving its fate uncertain at City Hall.

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