Part One Crime in the Camden area neighborhoods is down 42 percent in the first quarter of 2008. As of the end of March, there were 32 fewer robberies, 48 fewer assaults and 53 fewer burglaries in Camden. The number of homicides, rapes, thefts and auto thefts were also down significantly. The only category of Part One Crime that did not see a reduction was arson, which held steady at two reports in the first quarter of each year. That means that there were 239 fewer crime victims in Camden than there were at the same time last year.
Among the neighborhoods themselves, Webber-Camden and Folwell saw the greatest reductions, both in terms of absolute numbers and percentages. There were 96 fewer Part One Crimes in Webber Camden for a reduction of 62 percent. Folwell saw 84 fewer crimes for a 59 percent reduction. Cleveland was down by 39 percent, followed by Lind Bohannon at 28 percent, Shingle Creek at 23 percent, and McKinley at 2 percent. The only residential neighborhood in Camden to see an actual increase in Part One Crime was Victory, which recorded an 8 percent increase from 40 in the first quarter of 2007 to 43 in 2008.
While it is often difficult to attribute such trends to specific causes, there are several factors which contribute to this reduction. In 2007 the Minneapolis Police Department sharpened its focus on juvenile crime, particularly crimes of violence. With the re-constitution of the Juvenile Unit, investigators have been better able to identify and charge juvenile offenders. The Juvenile Criminal Apprehension Team (JCAT) has also made a significant difference. JCAT is a multi agency team of officers devoted exclusively to tracking down and arresting juveniles who have active arrest warrants. Every week, JCAT goes to dozens of homes in the 4th Precinct looking for and taking into custody juveniles wanted by the courts. The multi-agency approach, which includes both police and probation officers, allows for greater intelligence sharing and more effective policing.
But these successes are not attributable solely to the work of the MPD and its partner agencies. Of equal or greater importance is the commitment of the community at large to making Camden a better, safer place to live and work. Throughout the Camden community, neighbors are coming together to build stronger block clubs, improve ties between households, watch out for each other, and simply make it harder for criminals to hide and operate. Neighbors are calling 911 to report suspicious activity. More and more burglars are being caught because a neighbor saw something suspicious and phoned it in. Thieves are finding it more difficult to case neighborhoods, break in to cars, and take advantage of the unwary. In short, all of the work done by Camden’s block club leaders, businesses, neighborhood associations and residents is paying off in significant reductions in crime.
There is no better time than now to build on these successes. Even though the crime numbers are down significantly, no one considers the numbers acceptable. Further reductions can and will be made, but only if we all recognize the importance of working together to build a strong community. Crime prevention is, and always has been, a collaborative effort between private citizens and public agencies. Let’s all do our part to keep Camden moving in the right direction.