[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: "... An article over the weekend detailed how the
chief investigator will be quitting because of threats from the taggers. ...
Is it a system problem in that the policy makers don't think graffiti is a
big enough problem to allocate police resource in sufficient amount to get
the job done?"
Don Davis was not the chief investigator, but a private investigator who
took a large personal interest in graffiti to the point of taking his own
time out to catch the guys in the act. Sgt. Duncan at the 5th Precinct is
the MPD's investigator assigned to graffiti and his files are growing
thicker with cases against taggers, some of it thanks to the legwork of Mr.
Davis, but also due to the dogged efforts of neighborhood folks who make
sure all their graffiti is reported.
Sgt. Duncan has logged an increasing number of reports for the MPD to make
the best cases against taggers, reports which nearly doubled from June
through October (1651 damage to property reports--graffiti is a subcategory
in these--last year compared with 3004 this year). The $50 fine is only one
of the cases; I recall others getting stiffer fines and/or workhouse time or
community service hours.
Robb Clarksen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
" Police abuse power. This is a very simple fact of life. I dont like it...
..and for some godforsaken reason, luther krueger is paid to (or chooses)
to legitimatize it. ...in the eyes of police officers, people are seen as
'potential offenders'.
"...Amadou Diallo...Malice Green...A name i cant remember from South
Minneapolis last week (30+ bullets?) Countless others..."
You left out the Abner Louima case, where officers testified against their
fellow officers for a horrific case of abuse of power
(http://crime.about.com/newsissues/crime/library/blfiles/bllouima.htm): 30
year sentence for one cop and 15 1/2 the other, and 5 years each for two who
tried to cover it up.
I'm not trying to legitimize abuse. I just think broad-brush statements
("in the eyes of police officers...") polarize people into us-vs-them
constructs, and don't further the debate toward constructive solutions.
With regard to alleged MPD abuses of power, in specific cases where you
might feel any of the processes (Civilian Review, civil rights commission,
etc.) failed, how it could be bettered...? It would be helpful if those who
don't like the systems in place that are intended to be accountable, invite
those in charge of those systems to participate on the list so we learn
something. In the meantime, to use the MPD's responses to demonstrable
procedural quandries, such as 911 calls of the mentally ill threatening harm
to themselves or others (let alone the parking issues), as examples of abuse
of power, I think is more inflammatory than constructive.
To those who wonder "Why do police officers do what they do?" an excellent
resource is our Citizens Academy, where for 12 weeks, 3 hrs./week, you can
hear directly from our investigators, trainers, precinct commanders, etc.,
on police procedures. This has been offered for several years now, every 3
or 4 months hosted by a different precint, and covers a lot of the ground in
answering the valid questions that have been raised on this list.
I can hear it now--"More PR from a corrupt department." Well, attend the
Academy and draw your own conclusions: The Winter 2001 Academy will be held
Tuesday evenings, from 6-9pm, beginning in mid-February... Much of the
Academy sessions will be at the Marine Naval Reserve Center, Fort Snelling,
6400 Bloomington Rd. Call Crime Prevention Manager Jim Long at MPD SAFE, 3rd
Precinct (612-673-2868) for an application or questions.
CPS Luther Krueger 673-2923 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Minneapolis Police Department, Downtown Command SAFE
(Lyndale, 8th Ward)
