On Thursday, July 8, 2004, at 07:12 PM, Gregory Reinhardt wrote:
Its not Murderapolis and the latest firearm death was not a murder but a negligent act of manslaughter.
When I wrote that post the media was still treating it as a murder. The end result is the same.
As pointed out in by others with a Carroll ( Lewis) like glee, statistics (as well as all things from authorities) are not what they appear to be.
Agreed, as is well illustrated by the way crime statistics are often sliced & diced by public officials to make it appear that there latest crime control scheme is working.
Here are the simple facts. Minneapolis earned its nickname in 1995. That year there were 98 murders, 37 which occurred on the Northside. At that time, downtown was also policed by the 4th Pct. (no murders occurred in downtown in 1995). YTD there have been 10 murders on the Northside. In 1995 there were 20 murders YTD on the Northside. YTD - 07/07/95 compared to YTD- 07/07/04 murders. Facts from MPD UCR/CODEFOR crime reports RMS.
Lt. Reinhardt, it must be nice to have those statistics handy- could we citizens perhaps have some access to CODEFOR? You mention 10 murders year to date on the Northside, but 4 of those 10 occurred within a quarter mile of Lowry and 4th Street North. Again, you have access to CODEFOR data down to not just the block but the individual address level. We mere citizens can get data down to neighborhood level only presented in monthly summaries. Such access would also make it easier for us to spot increases in crime before our whole city again becomes Murederapolis.
Regardless of numbers, facts, or statistics any violent death is tragic. Regrettably the last firearm death was senseless, truly for no reason at all. This is doubly tragic when so many men and women are half a world away, some dying for god, country, and/or honor.
Agreed, and that senseless war has taken several much needed police officers from our city- apparently the Bush administration feels it more important to secure middle east oil than American cities.
But things are not as bleak as they have been. In Minneapolis, citizen cooperation with government, churches, social agencies and other institutions have made Minneapolis a safer city than it was in 1995.
There aren't a whole lot of those anchoring institutions left around Lowry and 4th Street North, although the drug dealing gang bangers seem to be quite numerous.
However, coupled with the new level of "safety" is higher expectations of service (including police services). What is the "correct" number to staff Minneapolis with police officers? Current staff is 800, or should it 932 as it was a few years ago? Perhaps 1200?
Given what appears to be an upward trend in crime we need to at least the number of officers on the street we once had. Anything less is merely leaving the welcome sign out for criminals.
Any number will be too few. Do you count Hennepin County Sheriffs?
No, they're short staffed to the point we have 200 jail cells sitting unused.
DEA, ATF or Homeland Security personnel?
So thin around here they're not even worth counting.
It's not just police who make the city safe, if neighbors and fellow citizens. You have done a good job, but there is more to do. It's time to put refrain of Murderapolis to bed along with other Dodgson's tales.
Sorry, but when citizens see 4 murders within a quarter mile radius within a few months that's Murderapolis to them. As for expecting us citizens to pick up the slack, I'm just an unarmed crippled old lady who knows better to even attempt gardening, never mind crime fighting, when the gangbangers control the street.
hanging on in Hawthorne,
Dyna Sluyter
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