MPD chief details 12‑week surge response, staffing impacts and $5.2M in extra costs; council presses on federal agents and oversight

Police Chief Brian O’Hara delivered a detailed review of the department’s response to Operation Metro Surge, describing a 12‑week period of elevated public‑order activity, multiple high‑profile incidents, substantial personnel impacts and preliminary financial estimates.

O’Hara outlined a chronology beginning with the surge announcement in December and notable incidents: an early December arrest that drew attention; an event on Dec. 15 at 29th and Pillsbury that prompted a procedural change to designate a single supervisor to triage such calls; the Jan. 5 announcement that thousands of federal agents had arrived; the killing of Renee Good on Jan. 7 and later the fatal shooting of Alex Pretdy. He said the department moved from conventional policing to sustained public‑order posture, recalled all sworn personnel, activated incident management and sought mutual aid from state and suburban partners.

"We recalled people to duty that were off duty," O'Hara said, adding that the department staffed a full‑time lieutenant dedicated to screening and planning responses to large‑scale events after a December incident that had sent officers to a scene without adequate information. He said MPD placed cameras and dialogue officers at vigil sites and coordinated with community groups, faith leaders and chaplains to de‑escalate and preserve safety.

O’Hara described the operational toll: roughly 50,000 entries in the CAD system during the period (estimated at about 6,000 additional calls in January compared with typical volumes), cancellation of more than 1,000 days off for sworn personnel, about 500 shift extensions, nine officers injured on duty during the period and a spike in PTSD filings and separations. He estimated additional police expenditures related to the surge at about $5,200,000 to date — primarily overtime and related contractual costs.

Council members pressed on MPD’s ability to document alleged misconduct by federal agents (ICE, CBP), whether officers had a duty and opportunity to intervene when federal agents used force, and how the department would collect and forward evidence. O’Hara said where MPD has video and reporting that meet investigative standards it has referred evidence to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) or sought information from federal inspector generals; he noted legal and practical constraints when another government’s officers are operating in the city and said MPD would review specific incidents if councilors supplied dates, times and locations.

The chief said the department would keep the full‑time lieutenant post to manage response‑time impacts and help return emergency response times toward pre‑surge levels; he also described ongoing work to capture lessons learned and to recover investigators and patrol staffing lost while officers were reassigned to public‑order duties.

What comes next: Council members requested follow‑up memos on overtime accounting, identification and referral of incidents with federal agents, body‑worn camera reviews for particular events, arrest and referral lists, and an updated estimate of staffing and budget needs.