Minneapolis police manual provides :
7-501.01 TRAFFIC ACCIDENT REPORTS 09/03/03) (05/29/09)
(A-B)
A Traffic Accident Report shall be completed for motor vehicle accidents involving personal injury, a City vehicle, or combined property damage amounting to over $1,000.
Officers shall directly enter all accident reports into the State of Minnesota Online Accident Reporting System, unless the system is down. When entering the report into the system, officers shall use a 10-digit case number format (example: MP03-123456).
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/poli...cy_7-500_7-500
The $1000 threshold went into effect in 1994. Before that it was $500. Not only are police obligated to report, in Minnesota drivers of motor vehicles are obligated to file a report with the department of public safety if there is personal injury or damages exceeding $1000.
If there is no personal injury or if the damage to personal property is less than $1000 then you have the option of making an online report.
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/poli...port/index.htm I don't know when this option went into effect. If anything, it may help increase reporting of incidents.
Of course, for a variety of reasons many accidents don't end up being reported.
As far as how the data was gathered for the reports, links provided in the report describe the data gathering process and methodology.