More policing and community engagement needed
Last month, Police Chief Janée Harteau presented information on 2013 crime statistics at a press conference that took place in the Northeast Library. Newly sworn-in Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges was also there, lauding the effective work of the city’s police officers.
Among the highlights to emerge from the presentation concerned burglaries, a focus area of the MPD in 2013. There were 167 fewer burglaries in 2013 than in 2012, a drop of 3.5 percent. Another area of emphasis for the police was reducing the number of crimes committed by juveniles, an objective realized with a 4.6 percent reduction in incidents involving minors.
Overall, crime in the city inched up less than one percent in 2013, with significant reductions in many areas. January’s press conference was held in the 2nd Precinct by design: that is where the greatest reductions in crime were seen last year.
But just across the Mississippi River in the 4th Precinct, the crime outlook is not so rosy. Mayor Hodges and Chief Harteau conceded the need to do more to address crime throughout the city, but most significantly on the Northside. Perhaps most troubling of the statistics released was that concerning violent crime in North Minneapolis: Instances of homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault increased by 24 percent in 2013.
This surge of incidents on the Northside contributed to a citywide increase of four percent for violent crime. Officials have been quick to note that overall, the city is at its lowest levels of violent crimes in 30 years. Additionally, the last five years represent the period of lowest overall crime since the 1960s.
“Overall, we have had a very successful year,” stated Chief Harteau. “Minneapolis should be proud of its police department and our community partners who have worked diligently to keep crime at some of our lowest levels in decades. As a result, we have built true partnerships that are enhancing overall public safety and viability in our neighborhoods, while building public trust and confidence.”
Chief Harteau’s comments reflect what has been a focus of the MPD in 2013: increasing engagement with the community. The chief came to the job last year with an eye toward building relationships with city residents and business owners. Introducing beat patrols on the Northside was one step taken to build stronger neighborhood connections.
In 2013, 17 officers were assigned to foot, bike and squad patrols meant to patrol some of the 4th Precinct’s major corridors, including Lyndale, Penn and West Broadway Avenues. This approach was meant to help officers become more familiar with neighborhoods on a block-by-block basis and develop stronger community bonds. It’s an approach, officials say, that may be expanded in 2014.
Additional MPD initiatives planned for this year include assigning more staff to the robbery and assault division in order to try to reduce the number of smart phone and electronics thefts, and at least two new programs designed to reduce juvenile crimes. The Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program will aim to help School Resource Officers connect with young people to build important life skills. Harteau will also start a Chief’s Youth Citizen Advisory Council.
“We see the great work of the police and the community reflected in these low crime numbers, but we know there is still much more work to do, and that some parts of our city have serious challenges still ahead,” said Mayor Hodges. “I’m encouraged by the steps the Police Department has been taking in the last year. Getting officers out of cars and onto the streets is just one way that they’re building stronger community connections than ever before.”
Mayor Hodges has pledged her support for hiring additional police officers. Minneapolis currently has roughly 812 active officers, a relatively low number, and retirements are expected to increase this year. The MPD could ultimately be left with the smallest number of officers employed decades, adding a sense of urgency to the task of bringing in more fully-trained recruits.
Even hiring more officers, though, may not turn the tide against criminal activity on the Northside. Crime dramatically increased in the 4th Precinct even as the area saw the greatest citywide increase in MPD enforcement. The police increased enforcement by 12 percent in 2013, a fact that makes it clear that more than just more police are needed to make things better in North Minneapolis.
“The solutions . . . have to do with policing, but it also has to do with community relationships,” says Mayor Hodges. “It also has to do with whether or not we are doing job creation [and] housing.”