Thanks to list members who had the time and inclination to address this issue, or to simply monitor the on-list exchange.
First, I am struck by how any post to an e-mail list such as this can be a bit of an electronic Rorshach test. Not that responses relate to "emotional and intellectual functioning and integration" in a formal or clinical way, but we sure do learn about each other.
Not only that, but our responses to events such as vehicular homicide bring out what is in us as well. I've been concerned about the human and economic costs of the transportation status quo for quite some time, and the killing of this person walking so near my home has affected me deeply. My family and I rely on HPVs and walking to get around most of the time, and take the bus too.
I have spoken with others, with CCP/Safe officers at our neighborhood meeting, and today went with a couple of other neighborhood residents to the 5th Precinct to ask about the case. The police officer at the desk gave us information similar to what Jim Mork found out by placing a call to the PD. I learned that there will be an investigation because the vehicle crash involved a death.
However, this routine traffic investigation is unlikely to result in any actionable conclusions. I will contact our CCP/Safe officers again, to find out if they will be in on the loop on this.
The officer at the 5th Precinct desk seemed to think that CCP/Safe would be given information after the case was investigated, but also indicated that the file may be sealed because a death was involved. So it may be that no one other than a few people in the PD will ever see the investigative file on this case.
This leads me to ask a number of other questions:
How many traffic crashes occur in Minneapolis each year?
What is the toll of these crashes in terms of human suffering -- both physical and emotional?
How many people are killed in car crashes each year in Minneapolis?
What is the economic impact of car crashes? What is the impact of these crashes in terms of property damage, emergency services, medical costs, legal costs, and administrative costs?
Perhaps these questions are not comprehensive, but they begin to give specific focus to my concern.
I understand that this may require a trip downtown to City Hall as well, if CCP/Safe or Precinct-level traffic officers are not authorized to respond to questions from concerned citizens.
Where do routine, un-actionable "vehicular homicide" reports go? Does anyone learn from them? Are they interpreted in an open and transparent way? Do residents of our city have any input into interpreting the information contained in them as to how to make transportation safer? What are the premises, goals and working parameters of anyone who does see, evaluate, and take action on these reports?
I wonder, too, if we can hope for aggressive investigative reporting on this topic from media who depend heavily on car-industry advertizing. "Follow the money" works in politics, and I guess it works with the media, too?
A very few investigative journalists have the financial independence to really investigate. As Greg Palast, author of "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" notes, real investigative journalism is expensive to do and again expensive in terms of alienating advertisers and political powers. Once in a while local journalists are able to do in-depth investigative reporting. Transportation safety would be a great topic.
I remain concerned that "we the people" know what happened in this case. I want to know that a thorough investigation is done, that we learn from the tragedy (and others like it) so that we may be assured that both safety and justice are maintained.
I will try to follow through on the questions I have. Any other questions or suggestions from list members are welcome.
Thanks again for thoughtful comments from fellow list members.
Gary Hoover
Pedaling Safely from my home in King Field
