Initiated by City Councilmember Abdi Warsame’s Ward 6 office, members of SCCA, the Seward Neighborhood Group and others participated in a safety planning meeting at the Minneapolis Police Department’s 3rd Precinct on April 8. The meeting was led by MPD Inspector Michael Sullivan with assistance from Lt. Danny May of the Community Response Team (CRT) and Crime Prevention Specialists Shun Tillman and Don Greeley.
The meeting covered a variety of topics including crime trends since 2014 (robberies down 15% year-to-date) and how the MPD is responding to a recent uptick of violent gang-related crimes in the Phillips and Ventura Village neighborhoods. The policing strategies include some of their beat officers doing extra foot and bicycle patrols, and the Community Response Team (plainclothes and undercover officers) who focus on street crimes.
The issue of break-ins and burglaries in the Seward Neighborhood was addressed, crimes that the police admit are hard for law enforcement to prevent and equally hard to get a conviction for. The police can arrest some ‘usual suspects’ who have a history and pattern that matches a particular burglary, but without hard evidence or catching a burglar red-handed, a conviction is hard to come by. The best prevention for burglary is still a combination of neighbors watching out for unusual activity and security measures by home and business owners.
CPS Shun Tillman recently led a walking tour with a block club on 27th Avenue. On this tour CPS Tillman pointed out home security do’s and don’ts to improve home and neighborhood security. He also encouraged residents and business owners to contact him directly with concerns and to follow up on a report – shun.tillman@ci.minneapolis.mn.us or by phone at (612) 673-2846.
The City of Mpls police website also has a wealth of information for residents and business owners, including how to:
- Sign up for Crime Alert Bulletins
- Give feedback on officer behavior (compliments or complaints)
- File an online police report for theft, lost property or damage to property
- Use Tip Line (612-692-TIPS) or download the MPD Tip App to report information relating to a crime
