Minneapolis' huge drop in traffic stop numbers

Axios

04-03-2025

Minneapolis Police Department officers pulled over 82% fewer drivers for breaking traffic laws last year than they did at their pre-pandemic peak, an Axios analysis has found.
Why it matters: While the steep drop-off comes as traffic stop reforms have rolled out in recent years, the numbers also raise questions about how a short-staffed MPD can enforce road safety as the city struggles to curb traffic crashes and fatalities.
By the numbers: Between 2017 and 2021, traffic stops dropped off sharply in both Minneapolis (by 72%) and St. Paul (by 48%), according to separate databases compiled by their respective police departments.
Some stops were for non-traffic-related reasons, including for investigations or for what MPD called "suspicious" vehicles.
Yes, but: In 2023, St. Paul police stopped nearly as many drivers for moving violations as they did pre-pandemic.
Meanwhile, MPD's stop numbers for moving violations haven't rebounded from their post-2020 drop.
The fine print: The MPD data Axios analyzed does not list the specific moving violation — speeding or otherwise — that triggered a stop.
The big picture: In the decade since a St. Anthony police officer killed Philando Castile during a traffic stop, reformers nationwide have pushed departments to rethink their policies.
In Minneapolis, a scathing 2022 state investigation found MPD officers were more likely to use force during traffic stops involving a Black driver.
A settlement agreement now forbids MPD officers from stopping drivers for certain minor traffic violations, such as having expired license plates, having a single busted light or mirror, or failing to signal a turn.
State of the roads: Meanwhile, city officials say "high speeding" is Minneapolis' " biggest traffic safety challenge."
Fatal crashes have spiked since the pandemic — and most of them have involved "clear speeding," Ethan Fawley, who coordinates the city's Vision Zero traffic and pedestrian safety efforts, told Axios.
Between the lines: Research generally confirms that "dramatic" decreases in enforcement do make roads more dangerous, University of Minnesota associate professor Nichole Morris told Axios.
Marginal increases in enforcement don't make much difference, Morris added — but a total halt or steep drop-off in enforcement bolsters the average driver's perception that they're not at risk of a speeding ticket.
Friction point: The advocacy group Our Streets argues that street engineering, not enforcement, is the key to safer roads.
It has pushed for adding raised pedestrian crosswalks, traffic circles or protected bike lanes that slow speeds.
"An enforcement strategy disproportionately impacts low-income residents and people of color," the group's spokesperson, Carly Ellefsen, told Axios, noting streets in their neighborhoods are also some of the city's least safe.
Context: MPD is historically short-staffed, which often requires officers to focus on the most serious calls.
Staffing is "certainly a factor" in the traffic stop decline, department spokesperson Sgt. Garrett Parten told Axios in an email.
Vision Zero coordinator Fawley said his job isn't to set MPD's priorities, but he also recognizes "the realities of where we're at with [officers'] capacity and community trust" in the department.
The intrigue: Statewide data on police traffic stops isn't publicly available, but the number of driving while impaired (DWI) stops in Minnesota has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
There were more DWI stops in Minneapolis last year than in 2017 — but a greater share of those incidents were handled by the State Patrol, the data shows.
What we're watching: Minneapolis hopes to place the first five speed enforcement cameras of a new pilot program later this year.
Morris is a huge fan of such cameras, while Ellefsen said the money would be better spent on street design changes.