<i>Roxana wrote:
Re: [Mpls] Minneapolis pedestrian killed -- but no charges, no investigation?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ghost
Subject: Re: [Mpls] Minneapolis pedestrian killed -- but no charges, no investigation?
Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 08:28:35 -0800
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The tenor of this post underscores the issue that many of the people of Mpls do not trust the police, while others do not recognize that the roots of the fear and mistrust are quite real. Many Mpls residents have seen crimes ignored selectively, and the law enforced selectively, and they're sick of it.
Yes - there is an insinuation that the system is failing to protect the people of Mpls on the basis of race and economic status.
The mistrust that Mr. Bowman is reacting to is born out of police ignoring the 911 calls of mainly poor, non-white residents whose garages have been broken into, whose property has been stolen, destroyed, or vandalized, and whose streets or alleys are home to hookers and dealers. It is born out of police shootings of the mentally ill or young people who posed no significant threat to those who gunned them down, most of whom are poor and non-white. It is born out of incident after incident of excessive force when police have broken into the wrong home, or have injured innocents - mostly poor, non-white people - who have happened to be in the wrong place when the police came knocking.
That mistrust is only furthered by the lack of civilian review, whitewash of incident after incident by police, and police statements that underscore the police's willingness to judge and unwillingness to affirm the human worth of those who have been shot or injured - such as in the flack following Natalie Johnson Lee's National Night Out message months ago.
Under the circumstances, questioning whether the police are taking seriously the death of a woman who has been mowed down on the street is fairly mild, when news sources don't indicate any followup or concerns by the police. It often seems that to raise police concern about a death that didn't occur in a Hollywood crime-blockbuster fashion, it takes a heck of a lot of agitating by family, friends, and community. If the death occurred at police hands, it definitely takes a lot of agitating in this town before citizens' concerns are responded to.
At this point, there may not be enough to go on to know whether this incident will be given all the attention it deserves from police. However, understandable concerns are raised by the community early because Minneapolitans have come to feel that if they are not proactive in raising questions up front, an incident may well not be given the attention it deserves. Several days or weeks down the road, the best opportunity to investigate may be lost. Mr. Bowman writes "If indeed the police haven't done the job they are instructed to do, then questions should be asked." That's too late - we all know the adage about locking the barn doors after the horses are stolen. The fact is, the police have lost the trust of many of the citizens of Mpls, and they will have to earn that trust back as residents see job after job well done. It doesn't come with the badge.
Roxana Orrell
Central </i>
Without a doubt everyone that has lived in Minneapolis (as is the case w/ all cities) can cite incidences they've witnessed that give the perception (either real or imagined) of at the very least, police impropriety.
However, everyone that has lived in Minneapolis or any other large city, has also experienced incidents where police officers have acted above and beyond the call of duty.
Speaking as an indivdual that has had a fair amount of exposure in dealing with the news media both internationally (the exxon valdez oil spill) and locally (the august "melee" in Jordan), I have found that, balanced, objective, reporting is the exception, and not the norm. As long as the "bottom-line" of the corporation that owns the news paper is at stake, this will not change.
Once again, I don't for a moment think that the Mpls police are perfect. There are changes that could and should be made. However, on the flip side, I don't think they're quilty of everything they're accused of.
Dennis Plante
North Minneapolis Resident
