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Twenty-nine new Minneapolis police officers will start work this weekend after graduating Tuesday from the city's police academy.  


The Minneapolis Police Department is in the process of replenishing its ranks after losing dozens of officers this year to early retirement.  


The cadets are predominantly white and male.  However, police chief Janee Harteau says this year's class is diverse in other ways.

"They come from a wide variety of backgrounds.  For starters we have people that have law degrees.  They just come from a vast array of parts of the city, life experiences and that's all part of having real collective diversity," she said.


The oldest cadet is 47-years-old. Three of the officers will go to work for the Park Police Department.

Mayor Betsy Hodges told the cadets and the hundreds of family members who attended the ceremony at St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church near Lake Calhoun, that the city faces a challenge in erasing racial disparities that exist between white residents and communities of color.  


"A lot of that depends on the work you guys do to build those relationships in the community and to build that trust between communities of color and the police department," Hodges said.

Crime, Law and Justice

Minnesota News

Twin Cities News

Brandt Williams

Author

Mayor Betsy Hodges told the cadets  that the city faces a challenge in erasing racial disparities.

Officers are sworn in on Tuesday Sept. 9, 2014.

29 new Minneapolis police officers sworn in

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