Crime Alert - Minneapolis Robberies

You don't have to worry unless you're a "high risk lifestyle" purse-carrier frequenting certain areas of Minneapolis at 10 a.m., late afternoon, or evening. For those that fit this profile, be on the lookout, as the Minneapolis Police have issued a Crime Alert following several robberies of persons:

Harrison, Near North, and Willard-Hay Neighborhoods (9-12-2006)

Robbery of Person September 12, 2006

Facts:

Since August 1, there have been several robberies and purse snatchings in the Willard-Hay, Near North and Harrison neighborhoods involving a group of juvenile suspects. In some cases, suspects have approached the victims and asked for the time. Suspects are then either snatching the victims’ purse or demanding the victim’s money. Several victims have either been struck or knocked to the ground in the robberies. In some cases, a black semi-automatic handgun has been displayed. These robberies have been occurring in the Harrison neighborhood and in the southern parts of Willard-Hay and Near North. Most of these robberies have occurred in the late afternoon and evening, although one happened at approximately 10:00 a.m.

Suspects are described as black males, 15 to 18 years of age, 5’6” to 5’9”. In several cases, they are approaching their victims in groups of three or four, either on foot or riding bicycles.

If you have any information on these robberies, please call the Minneapolis Police Department Juvenile Unit at 612-673-2921.

Although the group of thugs who murdered Courtney Brown have been arrested, this current group of criminals is eerily similar in age, numbers, race, etc. This leads me to wonder what kind of social breakdown has occurred in cities such as Minneapolis that would produce a seemingly endless stream of young gangsters to perpetrate crimes on innocent people, day in and day out?

Where are the parents? Where are the churches? Where are the consequences? Where is the shame?