City leaders say the years-long effort to rebuild the Minneapolis Police Department, while not over, is starting to be seen and felt—nearly two dozen more officers, including new firsts, are on the force following a graduation ceremony. 

“Just as they’re about to take their oaths today, before all of you and before God, I know that I have a sacred obligation to do that all I can for them,” MPD Chief Brian O’Hara said at the ceremony. “I pledge to you tonight that I will do everything within my power to take care of them.”

Now part of the rank-and-file are 11 recruits and 12 lateral officers who are joining from other agencies, some with more than a decade of experience. Of the recruits is the first-ever Somali woman, Ikran Mohamed, and permanent resident, Lesly Vera, for the department. 

A permanent resident who is a non-citizen can be part of the department now due to a recent law change, Chief O’Hara said. Officer Vera said she moved to Minneapolis from Mexico when she was 4 and has called it home since. 

“I didn’t see anybody that really looked like me, Latina,” Vera said about her drive to become a police officer. “I want to have that face for my people.”

The chief is standing firm behind his new officer. 

“There may be people who question it, but that’s completely ridiculous. There’s, like I mentioned, there is a history in this country of people immediately on arrival to the country, enlisting in the military and serving,” O’Hara said, adding, “Somebody like [Officer Vera], who has been here essentially her entire life, absolutely is entitled to protect her community in the same way that anyone else here has, and we’re honored to have her.”

Her colleague, Officer Mohamed, with a similar message about her next big chapter in life. 

“This is what I wanted to do, and it was very challenging. That’s why I’m here. And I want to be that somebody, [to] be a role model for girls who look like me. So they can say, I can do it too,” Mohamed said. 

Mayor Jacob Frey feels the work they’ve been putting in to build up the department – not just in numbers, but culture – is starting to be seen and felt. 

“It’s moving. It’s emotional. I mean, I talked about the hope in the room, from a personal standpoint as mayor of the city, it gives me a lot of hope. Our police department is looking more and more like the communities that we are charged with protecting and serving,” Frey said. 

Also part of the graduation was four new Minneapolis Park Police Officers.