[Mpls] (no subject)

[JIM GRAHAM]

Answer for Tom Donaldson: In a related matter Ventura Village’s Crime and Safety Chairs Jim Graham, Mary Watson, along with other Ventura Village business and resident leaders meet with Minneapolis and Hennepin County Police Officials on Monday April 29th.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss specific plans for addressing the new drug epidemic that is concentrated on Franklin Avenue between Chicago Avenue and 13th Avenue. Attending the meeting were Chief Robert Olson, Inspector Sharon Lubinski, Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar and her staff Pete Cahill, Metro Transit Police Captain Dennis Larson, and Council-member Dean Zimmerman. Mayor Rybak was invited to attend the meeting, but staff said he was too busy that day.    The problem drug dealing was very apparent with Zimmerman calling 911 during the course of the meeting to report several drug deals going on just outside of the window of the room in San Miguel School, where the meeting was being held.  Chief Olson was very happy to engage the community in the planning effort, and leaders from the Somali, Native and other communities were in attendance and participated in the planning effort. A comprehensive coordinated plan, and early results will be discussed in the next issue of the Alley.   It is expected that RT will take a very personal interest in addressing what has become an emergency.    On the day after his election, at a news conference on the corner of Franklin and Chicago, Mayor Rybak assured the community that because of his family’s ties to Franklin Avenue he would never forget the community and allow a return to such crime levels.  With those on the “List” making him aware of it, I am certain Mayor Rybak will be actively involved on a personal level to address the problem. Drug dealing now is approaching the level of 1997 when this same community asked to be declared a “National Disaster Area” due to the blight of crime and the murder of children in gang and drug related activities. Fortunately we have a new Mayor and a new City Council who will not allow us to continue to be the “Forgotten Orphans of Minneapolis”   Suggestions for plan: 1.      Have a contest to see who can catch the largest number of drug dealers in one shift. Winning team gets one week paid vacation a plane ticket to Cancun next winter, and all the Bruggers bagels they can eat for two weeks. 2.      Have the cable company wire five quality cameras at unspecified locations on Franklin Avenue and broadcast the show on cable access. Might be more interesting than some city council meetings.  Give judges free subscriptions to cable if they promise to watch.   3.      Create a real Drug and Crime Task Force made up of Fifty (50) dedicated officers whose job it is to hunt drug dealers each and every day they come to work, no matter where or what precinct that drug dealing moves to.  Give command of the task force to someone who they respect and who they will follow.  I suggest Captain Mike Martin as the one, and possibly the only commanding officer who both the police and the public would sufficiently trust to do such a job at this time.   4.      Start an effort to have every businessperson and resident in Ventura Village call on each and every drug dealer or prostitute they observe. This includes car and cell phone patrols and the city not punishing storeowners who call in drug dealers.  (One problem, how will anyone else be able to get through to 911 with that volume of calls?) So Tom Donaldson let me know when you want to start. I am already doing it, so we can coordinate.    Jim Graham, Ventura Village Neighborhood Buena Ventura por Buena Hinte