The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) tracks assaults in the city using three categories: 1) Aggravated Assault defined as an assault involving substantial bodily harm, great bodily harm, or the use or threatened use of a dangerous weapon; 2) Simple Assault defined as involving bodily harm; and 3) Intimidation defined as placing another in reasonable fear of bodily harm.
2026 assaults year to date (YTD)
According to the Minneapolis Crime Dashboard, year to date, there have been 1,421 aggravated assaults, 2,309 simple assaults, and 1,402 incidents of intimidation across the city – representing nearly a 10% increase in overall assaultive behavior compared to the three-year average.
The increase in assaults runs counter to the drop in some other violent crimes tracked, such as robbery (down 37%), car jacking (down 41%), and homicide (down 24%) over the three-year average.
However, the increase in assaultive behavior becomes even more pronounced when comparing 2026 YTD assault data against 2020 YTD assault data. The 2020 YTD data is largely representative of the “pre-Floyd” era of Minneapolis crime, capturing activity prior to the “uprising” following the death of George Floyd, the corresponding effort to “dismantle the MPD,” and the mass exodus of nearly 350 MPD officers.
Increase over 2020
In 2020 (YTD) there were 1,161 aggravated assaults, 2,063 simple assaults, and just 760 incidents of intimidation. By comparison, the 2026 assault data reflects an increase of 22.4% in aggravated assaults, 12% in simple assaults, and a staggering 84% in incidents of intimidation.
Cases submitted for prosecution
According to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office Dashboard, there were 575 Minneapolis assault cases submitted in all of 2020, of which 335 were felonies (most closely representing aggravated assault) and 61.7% of those cases were charged. In 2026, YTD, the number of Minneapolis assaults submitted is on pace to be approximately 445, of which 270 are felonies. 58.3% of the Minneapolis assault cases submitted have been charged so far.
In 2020, Minneapolis assault cases submitted for prosecution represented 51% of the Hennepin County total submitted to the county attorney for prosecution. That percentage has dropped to 28% of the county total in 2026 YTD.
Takeaway
Following the mass exodos of MPD officers, post-2020 uprising, Minneapolis has experienced a dramatic increase in assaultive behavior. While the 22.4% increase in aggravated assaults is troubling, Minneapolis leaders should be equally alarmed by the staggering 84% increase in cases of intimidation – a crime that drives away those who have choices on where to live, work, and recreate.
The percentage of cases being submitted for prosecution is down. That can partially be attributed to the 2026 cases that remain under investigation. That percentage is also likely to improve throughout 2026 due to various initiatives such as the FAST Unit dedicated to investigating non-fatal shootings.