Katherine Kersten Weighs In On Minneapolis Crime

The premier columnist of the Red Star, Katherine Kersten, weighs in on the Uptown murder and the general crime trend in Minneapolis. If you judge the effectiveness of this conservative columnist by her ability to work the liberal masses into a frothing lather, then she is the best. For proof, read the letters to the editor section after one of her insightful, no-holds-barred columns.

Today's column is titled: "Increased crime requires better fighting methods"

A young man has been gunned down in Uptown. Folks who live there, or frequent the area's trendy shops and restaurants, are shaking their heads. They worry about what summer will bring.

Things don't have to be like this in the City of Lakes. I realized it a few months ago, when two newspapers with very different headlines landed on my doorstep on the same day. A headline in the Dec. 31, 2005, New York Times announced, "Crime Numbers Keep Dropping Across the City." The Star Tribune headline read, "Serious Crimes Up in Twin Cities."

That's an excellent and effective contrast. A number of local blogs have noted that the Minneapolis violent crime numbers are inverse to national trends.

The Times story reported that crime dropped in New York City for the 17th consecutive year in 2005. Robberies were down more than 75 percent from their peak in 1990.

In Minneapolis, by contrast, reported serious crime rose 13 percent, and robberies jumped 22 percent in 2005. Today the climb continues.

In the days after the Uptown shooting, it was reported that robberies were up about 40 percent citywide so far in 2006 over this time last year.

One of the most intersting pieces of information given is that City Councilman Dan Niziolek agrees with many that Chief McManus spent too much time coddling the activists:

In fairness, robberies rose sharply in Minneapolis in 2003, before McManus arrived. No one doubts that the causes of crime increases are many and complex.

But Niziolek faults McManus for spending too much time developing relationships with high-profile "community leaders."

"Too often," Niziolek said, "he focused on personal public relations at the expense of leading a police force."

Ms. Kersten is an asset to the Red Star. Read the whole article and give her your feedback if you can. It's hard to imagine the liberals finding fault with this column, but nothing would surprise me anymore.

Meanwhile, a carjacking suspect is captured by one of Minneapolis' finest K-9s: "Minneapolis cop, K-9 nab suspected carjacker".

A Minneapolis police officer and his K-9 partner arrested a suspected carjacker after a brief car chase that ended in a crash early this morning.
...
A short time later the officer spotted the suspect driving the car and began to pursue him. The chase ended at 34th St. and Pleasant Ave., where the car crashed into a pole near a school playground.

When the suspect then fled on foot, the K-9 jumped into action, subduing the man and holding him until his handler arrived, broadcasters said.

There were no reported injuries.

Apparently the K-9 didn't get a bite. Too bad.

And finally, KARE 11 gives an update on the savage Uptown murder and the fallout: "Uptown murder still fresh in minds of residents and workers".

Saturday night's shooting in Uptown is still unsolved there may be a hint of hope of catching the criminals after three people were arrested Tuesday night.
...
But little is being said by Minneapolis police to connect the two.

All the while life in Uptown is beginning to move on, for some.

No one should be "moving on" yet. There are killers on the loose, and there remains a systemic problem in Minneapolis. I understand lives have to be lived, but the crime issue needs to be front and center until resolved.

...Huy Nguyen was Zebuhr's waiter Saturday night at Chang Mai Tai, where Zebuhr, his mother, sister and a friend at dinner before the fatal shooting.
"Now, we have to think about it," Nguyen said when talking about the shooting.

Nguyen said he gave them their bill at 9:48. According to the police report the shooting happened at 9:55.

"It's crazy to think that it was just so many less minutes away," Nguyen said, "it was only like 3-4 minutes away...that's crazy."

We need to reassess our approach to crime, we need to remain aware and vigilant, and we need to support our local law enforcement in their efforts to catch the killers. I've met and been acquainted with many Minneapolis cops, and there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that they want these scumbags off the streets, and are very capable of completing that mission.

The criminals can run, but they can't hide. Let's pray for a quick capture.