The 2010 Crime Rate in Minneapolis dropped to the lowest the city has seen since the 1980s. Violent crime has been declining for the past four years and 2010 marks some of the lowest rates yet.
A string of violent homicides in early 2010 threatened to push the numbers up, but on the whole violent crimes were down significantly.
“We’re getting better information, we’re better trained, and we’ve got better tools than ever to make Minneapolis safer,” Minneapolis Police Chief, Tim Dolan said in a news release.
Minneapolis police accomplished this dip in crime by taking a “predictive approach,” strategically targeting specific areas known for high crime rates. In July, law enforcement agencies adopted a coordinated plan to target gun violence in certain hot spots. In the past, at the start of each week officers were given crime statistics from the previous week. Now they are handed color-coded maps outlining locations where they should expect the most crime. Minneapolis police also have 1,500 video cameras monitoring the city that officers use to keep their eyes on crime even when they’re not physically present.
Project Exile, a partnership between the Minneapolis Police Department and the U.S. attorney’s office, has also played a large role in the crime dip. The initiative targeted repeat felons who were arrested for breaking gun possession laws. Consequently, several career criminals were sentenced to 15 years in prison.
As a result of these strategies, gun violence declined by 23 percent in the second half of the year. Violent crimes dropped by 5.2 percent from 2009. Aggravated assault, robbery, and rape statistics are all down between 3 and 7 percent from last year. Homicides are up slightly, but the past three years collectively have seen the lowest murder rates since the 1980s.
Do you feel safer on the streets of Minneapolis?
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