McGruv Takes On City Hall

Intrepid Rambix reader McGruv (Derek) is really putting the screws to weak Mayor Rybak's staff at the big stone building in Minneapolis. You may recall McGruv family was recently treated to a cold-blooded execution in their backyard one night in the mayor's fine city.

I think everyone could benefit from seeing the exchange, and with McGruv's permission, I will print it below. Derek (and Rambix) encourage everyone to contact the Mayor and/or the City Council and let them know, respectfully of course, how you feel about the thugs and criminals taking de facto control of the city, and what are they going to do about it?

Here's McGruv's email exchange with Jared Nordlund (reverse chronology):

From: Derek----
Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2006 2:37 PM
To: 'Nordlund, Jared A.'
Cc: Rybak, R.T.; 'Robert.Lilligren@ci.minneapolis.mn.us'; 'Patterson, Sherman'; 'don.samuels@ci.minneapolis.mn.us'
Subject: RE: Mpls. Gang and Crime Problem

Hi.

Thanks for cutting and pasting the Safe City Initiative description straight from the city website. I'm afraid I've already heard or read everything stated in your email before. It is unfortunate that it has taken so long for public safety to become a priority for the elected officials of Minneapolis. Maybe if this Initiative were launched sooner there'd be fewer Minneapolitans who have since become victims of violent crime.

Everyone from the Mayor's office or City Council that I've had exchanges with on this crime problem seems eager to point out how "complex" the issue is. Honestly, to me that sounds like an excuse. While I do recognize that the problem is systemic and multifaceted, I do not understand how that justifies underfunding the police up until now. Yes, I know that we didn't get the Local Gov't Aid we were hoping for. But here's the thing, why in the world, in a city where crime has been on the rise for at least 2 years and gangs have become evermore prominent would the mayor cut funding for the police force and not cut from any of the non-essential projects???

I really hope the SCI gets some serious results but as you might surmise I'm quite skeptical. If the mayor can partner with the police, the council, the courts, and the state to make this trend reverse course and the city is safe again, I will gladly commend him for it. So far however, I remain doubtful and still feel like my neighborhood is on it's own. If solutions to the problem like Councilman Lilligren's 'Alley Ordinance' are any indication of how the city leaders are approaching this crisis, I hold out little hope until I can vote for candidates who don't treat crime seriously and wait until it gets to the boiling point to do anything.

Derek Ickler
Ward 5

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From: Nordlund, Jared A. [mailto:Jared.Nordlund@ci.minneapolis.mn.us]
Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2006 1:42 PM
To: Derek----
Subject: RE: Mpls. Gang and Crime Problem

Hi Derek,

The Mayor saw your e-mail and asked that I reply. I'm sorry for the delay in responding to you. In response to your e-mail, I believe the Mayor's Safe City Initiative that aggressively deal with crime in Near North Minneapolis as well as city-wide best explains what the Mayor is currently doing to keep Minneapolis safe. Here are the highlights of the Mayor's Safe City Initiative:

The primary goals of the Safe City Initiative are to:

Increase officer visibility in high crime and high density areas.

Reduce the number of homicides, shootings and robberies for the rest of the year.

Increase gun seizures.

Improve the livability of five most problematic neighborhoods in the City (Jordan, Hawthorne, McKinley, Phillips, & Central).

Promote sense of safety in the Downtown areas of Block E, Hennepin Avenue, the Warehouse District, and other high-density areas.

Partner with other law enforcement; criminal justice groups; neighborhood groups; and businesses.

In order to achieve those goals, the Minneapolis Safe City Initiative incorporates input from the community and our corporate partners into the strategies to reduce violent crime. Among the top Safe City Strategies are:

An immediate and efficient use of resources. A $4 million investment (a dollar-for-dollar match of $2 million from the City of Minneapolis and $2 million from the State). Results in citywide presence and visibility now.

Assign units to the geographic areas targeted by the initiative.

Leverage the Minneapolis Police resources by collaborating with other law enforcement and criminal justice partners, and eliminate duplication of efforts.

Assign a unit to every active gang in Minneapolis, and prevent retaliation after homicides and assaults.

Juvenile Unit. The number of juvenile suspects involved in robberies and other violent crime is increasing. The new Juvenile Unit will: focus on investigating and prosecuting crimes involving repeat offenders; coordinate citywide strategies; work with probation officers to enforce conditions of release; and get input from judges on how best to manage juvenile crime.

Target Loitering. Identify those most likely to be involved in murders or assaults; arrest prostitutes and "Johns;" make probation visits; go after drug dealing; enforce the curfew.

In addition to the strategies listed above, the Police Department will keep expand on their successes, see below, to deter crime.

SafeZone Collaborative. High-visibility beats with officers from the Minneapolis Police, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Metro Transit, and Hennepin County Probation aggressively enforcing the laws, addressing livability issues, and discouraging loitering.

Using communications tools and technology. The SafeZone Cameras; partner with business security; and shared radio channel and a secure Web site.

Focused resources. Continued use of the Strategic Tactical Operations Patrol Unit (STOP), a 50-officer team that responds to "hot spots;" South Side and North Side Robbery Task Forces; and CODEFOR.

Lastly, the Police are working with the following agencies to keep Minneapolis safe:

Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office
Metro Transit Police Department
Minneapolis Park Police
University of Minnesota Police Department
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms
U.S. Marshall’s Service
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Drug Enforcement Administration
Metro Gang Strike Force Minnesota
State Patrol Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Minnesota Department of Corrections
Hennepin County Community Corrections

In addition to all of the information above, we are in the process of hiring 72 new officers that we be distributed throughout the city. Half of the officers will be on the street in a few weeks and the remaining will come on board after they finish their academy training in August. While these officers are being trained we're using additional money to increase the number of buy-back routes throughout the city. Buy-back routes are essentially overtime routes that full duty officers can work.

I'm sorry for the lengthy e-mail but public safety is a complex issue to explain. Thanks for taking the time to write the Mayor and please feel free to write again.

Thanks,

Jared

Jared Nordlund
City of Minneapolis, Office of Mayor R.T. Rybak
Room 331, City Hall
350 South Fifth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55415
(612) 673-3363 phone
(612) 673-2305 fax
jared.nordlund@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

If you would like to receive regular e-mail updates from Mayor Rybak, go to www.minneapolis.org/mayor and click the E-Subscribe button.

From: Derek----[mailto:Derek----com]
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006 10:24 AM
To: rt@minneapolis.org; Samuels, Don H; Johnson, Barbara A; Lilligren, Robert W; Benson, Scott A; Police
Cc: Sue Jeffers for Governor; ----
Subject: Mpls. Gang and Crime Problem/DG

Hi. I was just wondering if any of you guys have read this article yet. Do you want a lawless city where we are forced to become vigilantes to protect ourselves and our property or are you planning on doing something about it?

http://www.startribune.com/357/story/430216.html

Derek ----