Here are some facts. Minneapolis is: At an all-time low proportion of police officers to citizens – 1.3/1,000 while the national average is 2.8/1,000. Managing its police department with an…
In September, 2016, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported: Starbucks is expanding its presence in the Twin Cities with several new shops in the works, including one in downtown Minneapolis.…
Last night was a new low for public safety in our signature city. “SHOTS FIRED in the 4th Precinct lot. “100 shots” in the lot. OFFICER HELP CALL. Vehicle fleeing.…
Thousands of passengers concerned for their safety simply no longer take a chance on riding the Twin Cities light rail lines due to rampant crime and vagrants. Just ask Met…
On Friday evening the son of a former metro area police chief was violently assaulted and hospitalized during a robbery of his cell phone in downtown Minneapolis. The chief posted…
In the dystopian game of whack-a-mole playing out in south Minneapolis, the homeless encampment cleared by the city last Wednesday has reappeared two blocks to the east. As reported by…
Efforts to de jure defund the Minneapolis police department may have failed at the ballot box, but the fallout is causing a de facto privatization of policing in the city.…
I attended the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission (SGC) roundtable discussion yesterday and voiced opposition to the commission’s consideration of eliminating the Custody Status Point (CSP) from the sentencing guidelines. The…
We visit the now-cleared homeless encampment on 14th Avenue and the burned-out block nearby. Late last month, we visited the homeless encampment along the Midtown Greenway at 14th Avenue in…
Center of the American Experiment Public Safety Policy Fellow David Zimmer will participate in a roundtable discussion tomorrow with criminal justice system stakeholders and legislators called by the Minnesota Sentencing…
The recent officer involved shooting in Minneapolis will take time to investigate — perhaps more than usual. We need to support the process if we are serious about actual justice. Recent…
Last week St. Paul Mayor Carter held a press conference with other officials including US Senators Klobuchar and Smith, to announce the city’s $10 million plan to address public safety.…
is perhaps the most taboo subject in the state. The reality is that much of the state’s crime is committed by a handful of repeat offenders. This group is simply…
It is rare to be on the road in the metro these days without witnessing someone driving aggressively, weaving in and out of lanes, passing others at 20 mph over…
On Wednesday evening 7/13/22, Minneapolis Police were called to an apartment building at 904 21st Ave So. on a report of a man, later identified as Andrew Tekle Sundberg, 20,…
1721 University Avenue has become an infamous address at the University of Minneapolis’ main campus. The building sits on fraternity row, close to the Williams basketball arena. The building dates…
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter is going to the mat to enforce his sweeping order requiring police, fire fighters and other members of unions that challenged his authority for city…
I attended the Summit on Loss, Violence, and Education (SOLVE) forum in Brooklyn Park last evening and came away more hopeful for our public safety future than when I arrived. In…
The iconic span of the Mississippi has seen more than its share of mayhem in recent weeks. Yesterday, David Zimmer and I visited the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis. The…
The stealth passage in the legislative session of a measure legalizing so-called edibles and beverages laced with the intoxicating agent in marijuana supposedly even caught some lawmakers by surprise. To…
Thankfully, the importance of leadership continues to gain momentum in discussions about crime and public safety in Minnesota. The Star Tribune Editorial Board hit on this theme today, though they oddly…
There has been a steady increase in lawlessness felt in the Twin Cities since 2020, when the defund the police movement promoted weeks of rioting and the burning of the…
I had the opportunity to take part in Liz Collin’s podcast this past week. We discussed our crime situation and ways our new policy position at Center of the American…
Violent crime in Minnesota and in particular the metro area has spiked to unacceptable levels over the past two years. Early 2022 data indicates there is no appreciable retreat in the…