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Council presses MPD on Code Red staffing; MPD cites overtime funding and variability
Summary
Council members pressed MPD for specifics about Code Red staffing levels and funding. MPD said Code Red is funded through overtime ("over $500,000 a year") and that ideal weekend staffing is about 50 officers but signups vary widely.
Council members asked MPD how many officers staff Code Red and where funding comes from. Inspector Grant said Code Red staffing varies: roughly 35 officers on a typical Friday and around 40 on Saturday for the four entertainment zones, with an operational preference for around 50 officers on the busiest weekends. “So we had 40 this past weekend… so additional 10 more. So 50 officers, if not more than that,” Grant said.
MPD told the committee Code Red is funded through overtime budgets rather than a dedicated recurring appropriation; officers volunteer for overtime and availability fluctuates seasonally and by event. Grant said the department sometimes relies on officers from other districts and on specialty units (mounted patrol, motorcycle unit) to supplement downtown coverage, and acknowledged the trade-offs of pulling those resources from other city neighborhoods.
