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Law enforcement, community touts ‘robust’ downtown safety p
A triple shooting in the Warehouse District early Monday has reignited conversations about downtown safety, as violent crime trends downward in the area.
MINNEAPOLIS — Between Pride, the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials and Taste of Minnesota, tens of thousands of people have flocked to Minneapolis in recent weeks, as the downtown corridor continues to show signs of strength.
Still, crime perceptions linger, fueled in part by incidents like Monday morning’s triple shooting in the Warehouse District, which occurred at closing time around 2 a.m.
In an interview with reporters on Monday afternoon, MPD Chief Brian O’Hara said that shooting is part of a larger pattern involving “people getting drunk and going to cars to get guns and using them out of complete foolishness.”
“Downtown is different from other areas of the city in that we have a very confined space that we know is problematic, where all the bars are clustered and we know the times of day and times of week that are a problem,” O’Hara said. “Typically, we have been able to flood the area with police officers and monitor cameras pretty intensely.”
O’Hara described a “very robust, late-night safety plan” that he credits for helping curb violence in downtown neighborhoods.
According to MPD data, shots fired calls across the First Precinct are down 41 percent this year compared to the previous three-year average. The number of gunshot wound victims, meanwhile, has dropped 61 percent compared to the previous three years.
“Our officers have made dozens and dozens of arrests just this year, downtown, preventing shootings, being able to track people on camera,” O’Hara said, “that get drunk and go to their cars and get guns.”
Minneapolis police have not made any arrests in Monday’s triple shooting.
“We’re sad when things happen,” said Charles Hurd, the chief operating officer of MAD Dads. “It’s just proof that we need more work out there and we need more of us to continue and try and do the work.”
Hurd said his group continues to employ two teams of six people to roam different areas of downtown on a nightly basis. Those team members work to interrupt violent incidents before they happen.
“I can’t tell you how many times we stop someone who had a knife, who was going to do something, or a fight beforehand,” Hurd said. “I commend our team. They keep their ear to the street, they understand what’s going on in the streets, and that way, we know when something is going to break out or if something is going to happen beforehand. We can try to get involved and stop it.”
Through a contract with the city of Minneapolis, MAD Dads is part of a larger public safety that also includes the Minneapolis Downtown Council.
“The downtown safety plan includes a layered strategy, everything from our partnerships to the street outreach and violence prevention interrupters,” Minneapolis Downtown Council Chief of Staff Ben Shardlow said. “We know having more positive activities and positive behavior does lead directly to better safety outcomes.”
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Vikings fans were ecstatic to see their team beat the New York Jets.
FRIDLEY, Minn. — Vikings fans packed Forgotten Star Brewery early Sunday morning to watch the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets game in London.
Hundreds of people were at the Fridley brewery to watch the game on a 15-foot screen at 8:30 a.m. Hodgepodge food truck was also there serving up brunch specials for fans to have with a pint of beer.
“We were up at 4:30 this morning, ready to go, getting our gameday gear ready,” said Luke Drake. Luke got there at 6 a.m. with his wife Nicole to make sure they got a prime spot.
“Before we were together, I was a Vikings fan and not like a super crazy Vikings fan. [Now] we’re up like a 5, 6 a.m., on Sundays, and it’s like we’re ready to go, we’re in front of the TV and we’re ready for the game to start,” Nicole said.
If you can’t tell by Shannon Russell’s purple hair, she bleeds purple and gold.
“I just love football,” she said.
Russell didn’t grow up in a sports family and came across the Vikings by chance when she was 10 years old.
“I was just up watching cartoons one morning and saw the Vikings playing and not understanding what it was, and I just fell in love with it,” Russell said.
Her favorite player is No. 22.
“I love watching Harrison Smtih while he comes up and he’s like ‘Am I going to rush, I don’t know’ and then he just bails out and I love watching that,” she said.
Liz Johnson was also up early with her two kids, Henry and Alice.
“I like football. I like watching. I enjoy the surprises that come with it. I like Forgotten Star, so it’s a perfect place to be, snacks, food,” Henry said.
“It’s pretty cool because you can see the TVs over there, over there, you can look behind you and see it over there, and you can look right there and see it a giant screen,” Alice said.
Alice got creative to pass some of the time, making art with her hands.
“I’m making bracelets,” she said. “So, first you take the first one, twist it and put it around your fingers.”
Even though the kids were up early, the Johnsons wouldn’t have it any other way to watch their hometown town leave London with a win.
Police said the 7-year-old victim was skateboarding on Saturday night.
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The road closure is expected to last until about 11:30 p.m. tonight, according to MnDOT.
MINNETONKA, Minn. — Officials have closed the westbound lanes of US Highway 12 starting at I-494 in Minnetonka after a collision occurred on Saturday night.
According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s 511 Map, the road is closed and there was a “serious crash,” on the highway.
The road closure is expected to last until about 11:30 p.m. tonight, according to MnDOT.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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