I am truly amazed by Minneapolis and the City Father's priorities. A "Driver" (who is suspected of having done so before) ran through my heavy board fence and I am told that the police will NOT follow up on the hit and run. Though the person did not run far. He just backed up and left the vehicle there. I guess he didn't realize wood was on his bumper and scrapings off the bottom cowling remained on the curb from his mini-van. A police officer met me at the scene and agreed it was the vehicle and wrote a report. When I checked I was told that my homeowners insurance would have to take care of it. Since I have $2000 deductible of course they are not interested and though the police will give the information on the driver and his insurance to my insurance company but not to me then I am stuck with tracking him down because they also informed me that the City of Minneapolis would no longer enforce or investigate Hit&Run cases.
The City of Minneapolis is REQUIRED by law to enforce the State and Federal laws, but NOT City ordinance. Unless I am seriously wrong and assuming, I believe there is a STATE law against hit and run. There is no such requirement about peeling paint. So we are being told that there are sufficient funds to pursue Dyna for peeling paint and NOT enough to pursue people breaking State laws. I must say I am truly amazed. I know I should not be, but I am continually amazed that there is more zeal shown for prosecuting normal citizens, (not to imply that Dyna is "normal"), but not to pursue the criminals selling drugs on the corner or the hit and run driver. This is probably the reason for the "Containment Zones" that have been created in the "Impacted Neighborhoods". Which brings me to another subject. While I am thankful that Mr. Kraznov feels the criteria for the new Chief of Police is how to address the crime in my particular neighborhood, I am more than a little distressed that he continues to ask that the new Chief "Contain" the crime to those troubled locations and not let it be spread around so every one gets a fair share. That is all well and good for "Good" neighborhoods, but not for the residents who must live in the containment zones where the Minneapolis Police have been ordered to "Contain" the criminals. The other difficulties are that this action is against Federal Law and is discriminatory at its worst. Such a strategy violates the civil rights of the residents of those poor neighborhoods with high minority populations that "JUST" happen to be the places where Minneapolis "contains" its criminals and victims. They happen to be the containment zones because Minneapolis would not want to create a containment zone in an affluent white neighborhood with political power. The City has already sown seeds for a Class Action Suit in Federal Court for depriving certain neighborhood residents of "Equal Protection Under the Law". I hope Mr. Kraznov is not saying that the qualification for a new Chief is a willingness to break Federal Law at the command of the City Council. The City apparently would rather have 20 or 30 drug dealers between Chicago and Portland on Franklin (or 10 to 20 between Knox and James on 26th), than to have some peeling paint on some abrasive old ladies house. What does that say about priorities? Watch the upcoming debate on the new Police Chief. The Council Members who support Lucy Gerold, a political crony, over REAL police officers are the CM's who care more about political cover than they do about public safety. Lucy Gerold ran CCP Safe as if it were a political organizing tool of Sharon Sales-Belton. CCP Safe was on the verge of being demanded to leave several South Minneapolis neighborhoods when it was de-centralized and sent to the Precincts. Several neighborhoods were planning a "Public Hearing" on the misdeeds of CCP Safe. If someone doubts this ask Karen Clark and Linda Berglin. The movement started at their "Legislative Agenda" meetings on Lake Street. Within one year at the Precinct CCP Safe was a much less biased service instead of a political tool, and it was overwhelmingly supported by those same neighborhoods. Those same neighborhoods would have fought to keep CCP-Safe after Lucy was no longer in command and Safe was commanded at the Precincts. The politicians need to be reminded that though some of them seem to have limited memories, the people who vote still remember those old "centralized downtown power" days. There are wonderful "REAL" cop" candidates for Chief (Dolan and Lubinski are two such). We have spent thousands of dollars for a "National Search. I think we the people of Minneapolis deserve to get something like a REAL Police Officer and a good Chief for our money. The downtown "powers that be" may want a political hack running the police department to cover their tush, but the residents of Minneapolis deserve a whole lot better. Or we deserve whole lot better politicians downtown! Jim Graham, Ventura Village The rarest of gems, with the greatest clarity, and with the greatest brilliance is not the diamond. The rarest of all gems is the truth. Yet as scarce as truth is, the supply has always far exceeded any demand for it. In fact it may well be the lest desirable commodity in the Universe. Ask any politician. REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
