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Minneapolis shares summer crime strategy
As the summer months approach, the city of Minneapolis says it has a safety plan in place to address an expected uptick in crime.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - As the summer months approach, the city of Minneapolis says it has a safety plan in place to address an expected uptick in crime.
While public safety leaders are declining to release specific operational details of their plan, they say it will largely be a continuation of Operation Endeavor; a data-driven approach to decreasing violent crime. Operation Endeavor began last summer and has shown success in major areas since its inception.
In a presentation to the city council Wednesday, Safety Commissioner Cedric Alexander reported that year-to-date non-negligent homicides are down 70%, total shooting incidents are down 18%, and carjackings are down 26%. He also reported a record number of guns taken off the street in the operation’s first year.
"We’ve found something that is working with the limited resources that we have, so we’re going to continue that," he said.
With warm weather often coinciding with an increase in violent crime, Alexander says they want to assure the community that they’re prepared.
"Our plan for the summer is to utilize all of our resources, all of our public safety platforms, support from the business community, the neighborhood communities…working conjointly together to focus in on crime," he said.
While the Minneapolis Police Department remains short-staffed, Alexander says they’ve found a way to utilize data and partner with other agencies and non-law enforcement partners to get positive results. He says collaboration is key to keeping the city safe.
"We all have limited resources, but when we put all our resources together, it makes a significant difference," he said.