The city of Minneapolis recently released its final crime statistics for 2013, and although many of the numbers are encouraging, there is always room for improvement.
Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau spoke about the findings at a recent press conference, commending the city and its precincts for being tough on crime.
“The second precinct saw the largest crime reduction in the crime, “said Harteau.
Some Up, Some Down
Many of the statistics pointed to a downward trend in crime, but some specific crimes rose in 2013. Here are some of the findings from the annual crime report:
- Violent crime was up by four percent in 2013, but it remains at one of the lowest levels in 30 years.
- The number of homicides in Minneapolis fell in 2013.
- Reported rapes declined in 2013.
- Juvenile crime fell 4.6 percent in 2013.
- Overall crime was up by less than one percent.
One of the biggest improvements in 2013 was how the city curbed the number of burglary crimes. Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges said good policing and community engagement were two reasons why “one hundred and sixty-seven fewer families experienced a burglary this year than they did last year.”
Continued Effort
Local leaders plan to make 2014 an even safer year for Minneapolis residents, and it starts by fostering relationships in the community, said Hodges.
“The solutions there have to do with policing but it also has to do with community relationships. It also has to do with whether or not we are doing job creation, housing,” said Hodges.
Julianne Leerssen, Executive Director of Neighborhood Hub in north Minneapolis, echoed Hodges’ sentiment.
“A lot of crime comes in my opinion in certain communities because there are not a lot of viable options for employment, education and housing and people are continuously struggling,” Leerssen said. “I think the community has got to be really involved.”
While the goal is to lower crime rates across the board, Harteau said two areas would get extra attention in 2014 – robberies and assaults.
Criminal Attorney Avery Appelman believes those are smart areas to focus on.
“Assault cases have been in the news in the recent weeks as there have been a rash of incidents on the U of M campus,” said Appelman. “I’m glad the police are taking a closer look at these incidents and are instituting a year-long plan to cut down on robberies and assaults in the Minneapolis area.”
Related source: Pioneer Press, KSTP
