Ellison: Effort to curb crime at troubled Minneapolis intersection has paid off

Efforts to curb violent crime at an infamous intersection in north Minneapolis have led to a significant reduction in incidents, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Thursday at a news conference.

Ellison announced in September that his office would investigate whether Merwin Liquors and a Winner Gas station across the street "are maintaining or permitting an unlawful public nuisance on their properties," responding to community complaints over open-air drug dealing and violent crime outside the businesses.

The city, state and Hennepin County threatened to file a lawsuit against the stores at West Broadway and Lyndale Avenue N. But because there have been no serious incidents since the announcement Sept. 15, officials have not been able to file a complaint, Ellison said.

"We're moving from what I would describe as a litigation phase to a monitoring phase," Ellison said at the news conference to discuss the investigations findings, where he was joined by local officials. Ellison stressed his office would be quick to change course and litigate if serious crimes re-emerged at the site.

A graph at the event shows emergency calls to Merwin decreasing from about 75 in the winter of 2021-22 to nine in the following winter. The gas station saw a decrease of more than 80 calls for service to fewer than 30 in those two winter seasons as well.

In an initial notice about the threat to take action, Ellison alleged that the store owners "absolutely" were permitting unlawful activities on the site, he said at the event. Over the years, the gas station had developed the nickname "murder station," Ellison added.

About 50 community members attended the news conference at Sanctuary Covenant Church, a block from the site. Other officials who spoke included Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and local church representatives.

Since the investigation police have increased their presence and enforcement in the area, officials said.

While audience members were audibly positive about the corner's drop in incidents, some community members were critical, saying it took too long for officials to take steps to reduce violence and other crime at the corner in the long term.

"How does a corner exist this long, have that many shots, that many murders, and nobody from the city, county nor state has been calling for it to be redeveloped?" asked Pastor Jerry McAfee.

The investigation began after a drive-by shooting occurred near Merwin at Broadway and Lyndale. But the intersection has been the epicenter of criminal activity for much longer. A Star Tribune analysis found nearly 1 of every 10 killings citywide has taken place within a half-mile of this corner since 2010.

The data also showed a precipitous drop in proactive policing to this area — indicative of a change in police tactics in response to depleted staffing, said Minneapolis Fourth Precinct Inspector Charlie Adams in an interview last fall.

Merwin, Winner and a tobacco shop attached to the gas station have repeatedly violated city code or the terms of their business licenses, according to records reviewed by the Star Tribune. The city has issued violations or administrative citations to the owners of Merwin six times since 2018 for issues including loitering, drinking on the premises and litter.

Winner and the tobacco shop have received eight violations or citations, according to city data. The most recent occurred earlier this month, when the city says Winner's owners failed to put in place adequate measures to prevent crime.

In a letter to the city, Winner's management said someone had driven by the property in an SUV and fired at it and the sidewalk from the sunroof. "In this particular situation of a drive by shooting there is not much we can do about a vehicle that decides to drive past the gas station and cowardly shoot as it drives by," the letter said. Managers said at the time they were taking steps to make the area safer, including hiring a security company at a cost of $11,375 per week.

At a community meeting at a nearby church last fall, Erik Hansen, Minneapolis director of economic policy and development, told the crowd the city has been working for the past four years to identify why this corner has become a "safe harbor" for drugs, prostitution and gun violence. Several in the crowd lamented the city's failures to address the area's root causes of crime, such as mental health, poverty and addiction, despite it being in close proximity to a school.

Staff writers Paul Walsh, Andy Mannix and Jeff Hargarten contributed to this report.