Minneapolis Officers Face Accusations of 'Slowdown'

With shootings rising and arrests plummeting, the Minneapolis Fourth Precinct's commander, Inspector Mike Friestleben, erupted during a recent daily roll call — calling officers cowards and accusing them of slacking off on the job, according to multiple sources familiar with the episode, reports the Star Tribune .

At the root of Friestleben's anger was an apparent monthslong work slowdown that has resulted in a 51% drop in stops in the Fourth Precinct, along with a 45% drop in arrests.

Through May 2, police records show that 8,504 arrests had been made across Minneapolis. That's compared with a total of 11,879 arrests during the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the number of people who have been stopped, questioned, and frisked also has declined nearly 32% compared with the same period last year.

Lt. Bob Kroll, president of the union that represents the department's 850-plus officers, said last week that intense public criticism of police officers after the shooting death last November of Jamar Clark has led to a morale crisis among the rank and file.

Asked about the apparent slowdown last week, Police Chief Janeé Harteau responded in a statement that "the answer to the decline is complex."

"There are multiple factors that attribute to those numbers; from fewer resources to increased community engagement to being more selective with what types of enforcement action is necessary," Harteau said. "Let's be clear, however: My officers are not responsible for the increase in violent crime; those who commit the acts are."