More Crime for Minneapolis

I do not want to create the impression that New York City is the center of the known universe. After all, there’s always Minneapolis. Recall that the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis triggered the urban insurrection this year.

So, how are things in Minneapolis today. We know that the woke people running New York City have emptied the prisons, disbanded the most effective crime fighting unit and refused to indict criminals. They have left the city to the tender mercies of the criminal class. As the murder rate doubles and as more people get pushed in front of subway trains, things are obviously not very good.

The notion that Comrade de Blasio is up to the task is risible.

Anyway, the same story is playing out in Minneapolis. Hollie McKay reports on the wave of violence descending on that city (via Maggie’s Farm):

Across several blocks in Minneapolis, at the site where George Floyd died in police custody almost six months ago sparking national outrage, roads remain closed.

Mounds of snow have built up around the tents, street art, and bouquets of withered flowers memorializing Floyd's death.

By day, people still come to pay homage. But by night, the neighborhood surrounding the makeshift memorial is a hot zone, police say -- a microcosm of a wave of violence gripping the city.

By the numbers, here is the picture:

According to police data, more than 500 people have been shot in Minneapolis this year – twice as many as 2019, while murders are up more than 50%. 

So far this year, there have been nearly 5,000 violent crimes, the most in the past five years, the records show.

In September, observers watched in horror as six people viciously beat a man while allegedly trying to steal his cellphone outside a Target store.

Late last month, a 9-year-old boy was shot outside his St. Cloud apartment complex. Last week, a woman was pistol-whipped during a home invasion in the south part of the city.

In August, eight residents from north Minneapolis filed a class-action lawsuit against the city, claiming that the dwindling number of officers was a violation of the city charter. 

Police officers are retiring. Fewer recruits are joining the force. The city government has cut the police budget, as has happened in New York City. The results should have been predictable:

As dozens of officers leave a police department reeling from funding cuts spurred by racial justice advocates, officials say response times have slowed and violent crimes, including shootings, carjackings, and robberies, have spiked.

In June, the City Council cut the police budget by about $14 million, with Mayor Jacob Frey vowing instead to pour resources into a new public safety program that seeks to provide more mental health outreach and help for vulnerable communities.

But the city of 425,000 is facing an exodus of cops ahead of a threatened complete defunding of police that could impact public safety for years to come.

Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said earlier this month that more than a hundred officers have departed the 888-member force — more than twice the average attrition rate.

Some have opted for early retirement, while others have lodged disability claims, citing PTSD triggered by the riots and continuing fallout over Floyd's death under the knee of an officer. Cops leaving the department have expressed concerns about the safety of themselves and their families

Naturally, the activists blame the police for the crime wave. A little misdirection does the soul ill. But, they have found their solution-- they want to send in social workers and therapists. Nothing like a good dose of empathy to solve the problem. 

Some grassroots groups say they are helping to patrol streets "with compassion and care in mind," committed to providing a model of what communities could look like sans uniformed officers, with greater support for mental health and mediation programs. 

Seriously….