The Minneapolis City Council approved an ordinance Thursday allowing the city to charge fees to private businesses when cops do off-duty security work for them. It’s the first step toward recouping some of the costs to taxpayers for allowing police officers to use squad cars,

The Minneapolis City Council voted Thursday to charge a fee when officers take after-hours gigs. Minneapolis police officers can use their city-issued gear while working security jobs when they’re off-duty.

MPD's off-duty program allows officers to work private jobs on the side while using city cars, uniforms, and materials. The ordinance would allow the city to charge fees to recoup the costs of resources used by officers when working off-duty.

Following the approval of an ordinance that will allow Minneapolis to recover fees from Minneapolis Police Department officers who work off-duty, Minneapolis City Council members held a press conference to discuss what they hope to accomplish with a new fee structure in the coming years.